The Need for Multi-Agency Collaboration and Joined-Up Thinking in Tourism Planning - Case Study Example

The Need for Multi-agency Collaboration and Joined-up Thinking in Tourism Planning Location: TABLE OF CONTENTSIntroduction…………………………………………………………………………………...3 Literature Reviews…………………………………………………………………………….4 Case Study…………….………………………………………………………………………9 Limitations……………….………………………………………………………………...…13 Getz, Donney and Hall’s views on tourism planning………………………………..….……14 Sustainable tourism issues……………………………………………………………….…...15 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………16 Bibliography …………………………………………………………………………...….....18 The Need for Multi-agency Collaboration and Joined-up Thinking in Tourism Planning Introduction Multi-agency collaboration and joined-up thinking in tourism planning among stakeholders in the industry helps in developing policies for destinations. It helps in cutting off the cost of resolving adversarial long-term conflicts among stakeholders in the tourism industry. The collaboration should be aimed at building a consensus about tourism policies. Joined-up thinking and collaboration in the tourism industry, potentially, has many advantages resulting from cooperation between the stakeholders in the tourism sector. Adversarial conflicts in tourism planning are disadvantageous because they make stakeholders to develop mutual suspicions. This leads to similar conflicts in subsequent issues. Multi-agency collaboration relations among individuals who play a role tourism planning are more politically legitimate if the stakeholders are given a greater consideration in decision-making. Joined up thinking and collaboration in the tourism sector strengthens the coordination of tourism policies and related actions. It also boosts and promotes consideration of environmental, social and economic impacts on tourism. This, in turn, ensures that the outcomes of the impacts are potentially sustainable. Collaboration and joined-up thinking among stakeholders in tourism planning improves their insights, knowledge and capabilities in destination. For instance, joined-up thinking allows the sharing of ideas among stakeholders thus resulting in proper understanding of issues. This leads to the creation of policies that are more innovative. Collaboration in tourism planning also promotes a sense of shared ownership thereby directing energies into co-production and joint implementation. Literature Reviews Joined-up thinking and collaboration in local tourism is advantageous to both the stakeholders and the destinations. This is because it reduces the occurrence of difficult challenges in the sector. For instance, policy ideas, resource allocations and institutional practices that are embedded within the society may restrict the influence of particular stakeholders if collaboration is enhanced. The concept of collaboration and joined-up thinking in tourism planning is a western perspective of the way tourism should be planned. Planners from developed countries, however, can formulate this perspective model. Tourism planning in destinations should involve multiple stakeholders. The stakeholders should include business interests, environmental groups, community groups and public authorities. It is, however, time-consuming and difficult to involve several stakeholders in the tourism planning process. Nevertheless, the involvement carries significant benefits for tourism sustainability. Participation of multiple stakeholders of varied cultural, social, economic, political and environmental issues in tourism planning affects sustainable tourism development. This implies that the stakeholder’s involvement in tourism planning can improve efficiency, harmony and equity. For instance, the participation of many stakeholders has the potential of increasing self-reliance and awareness of issues. This, in turn, facilitates equitable trade-offs between the collaborating stakeholders with competing interests. Collaboration and joint-up thinking among stakeholders in the tourism industry also promotes the development of decisions that lead to the enjoyment of a high level of consensus and shared ownership. Through collaboration and joined-up thinking, assessments can be made concerning stakeholders who are impacted by the tourism projects. The identification of the stakeholders to participate in the collaboration is critically important for political, technical and reasons of operation. Being selected or not failing to be selected as a relevant stakeholder to participate in joined-up thinking is an essential and the first step that impacts the whole process of allowing individuals to take part in collaborative tourism planning. It also affects the outcome of the process. In choosing stakeholders to participate in joined up thinking, individuals who had previously take part in the planning process should be carefully examined. A sample of stakeholders who are influenced by the project ought to be interviewed to get their views concerning relevant individuals who should be chosen for the collaborative project in tourism planning. Multi-agency collaboration and joined-up thinking in tourism planning involves resolving conflicts in order to advance shared visions. This is done by a set of many stakeholders in the tourism industry. Collaborative in tourism planning also involves joint decision-making among the stakeholders with the aim of managing issues related to planning and development in the sector. Collaboration in tourism planning of destinations is involves face-to-face dialogue among the participants. This results in shared decision-making, consensus building and negotiation about planning actions and goals. Collaboration in planning tourism is achieved through working in groups that are made up of a fairly reduced number of individuals. These individuals include stakeholder groups and representatives of organizations. The total number of people participating in joined-up thinking should be restricted to ensure that the formed group promotes familiarity, trust and understanding among the participants. The group should also encourage consensus-building in order to facilitate the process of decision-making. Collaboration in tourism planning in various destinations can sometimes be limited to the collection of opinions from stakeholders in order to get full information that is useful to the public sector planners. This is the easiest way of attaining information especially where there is limited direct dialogue between planners and stakeholders. It is achieved when opinions from stakeholders are collected using focus group interviews, self-completion questionnaires, telephone surveys and drop-in centers. These processes are less complex compared to direct dialogue with planners in the public sector to seek consensus-building through collaborative tourism planning. The one-way method of collecting information from stakeholders provides useful information concerning decision-making in joint up thinking. Joined up thinking and collaboration in tourism planning are needed because they draw ideas from literature. These ideas assist in the growth of the sector. However, in order to achieve collaboration in tourism planning, citizen participation is required. Recent assessments of policy-making explain ways in which stakeholders can collaborate in tourism planning by drawing information on general theories of inter-organizational collaboration. The assessments explain how the stakeholders can collaborate to solve tourism-related problems. Multi-agency collaboration and joined up thinking in tourism planning is important when complex problems that cannot be solved by a single organization arise. The collaborating parties with a stake in the problem, therefore, actively seek a mutual ways of determining a solution. Despite agreeing to abide by the shared rules, in multi-agency collaborative planning, individual stakeholders retain their independence in decision making. Multi-agency collaboration and Joined-up thinking in tourism planning helps in overcoming power imbalances in the sector. This is because many stakeholders are involved in the process to ensure that the needs of each individual are met. Collaboration in tourism planning is necessary because power differences among stakeholders in the sector are so embedded in the modern society. However, the collaboration might be affected by the power differences. Multi-agency collaboration and joined up thinking are receiving widespread attention in several research disciplines. This is because the two aspects have the potential of managing the complex and dynamic tourism domain if clearly addressed. In order to attain interdependencies among organizations when making decisions, tourism managers must adopt collaboration in planning. Joined up thinking can be used effectively to advance shared visions especially where stakeholders recognize the potential merits of working together. This is because multi-agency collaboration involves joint decision making among relevant stakeholders of a problem domain about the domain’s future. A problem domain is a situation in which the problems are complex and they, therefore, call for a multi-organizational response. This is because the problems are usually beyond the ability of a single person or group to solve them independently. This implies that collaboration in tourism planning is a concept of inter-organizational domain. The concept of sustainable tourism emphasizes o a form of tourism development that is built upon collaborative planning and joined up planning. This is because the processes ensure a well developed socio-cultural and natural environment that result to realization of financial benefits for the local community. Collaboration in tourism planning should be adopted to ensure that both cultural and natural resources are not degraded. The resources should be maintained as viable resources for continued utilization in by future generations. Joint up thinking in tourism planning will ensure holistic planning and strategy formulation, protection of biodiversity and human heritage, preservation and proper maintenance of tourist attractions and general development in the sector. Collaboration in tourism planning creates room for learning and applying important principles in life. Such principles include efficiency, ecological integrity, community, cultural integrity, equity, balanced harmony and development as a realization of potential. These principles are also appropriate to joined up thinking in tourism planning. Efficiency involves evaluating alternative methods in terms of costs measured in money, time and public convenience. Equity that is attained through collaboration in tourism planning refers to equality of opportunity and recognition of needs among various stakeholders. In attaining equity, focus is put on social groups, individuals and communities of the present and future generations. Balanced harmony involves struggling for balance, integration and key factors like the environment and the economy in tourism planning. A number of collaborations in tourism planning have to occur in order to achieve successful integrative tourism development. Some of them include collaboration between government agencies, collaboration between levels of administration, collaboration between same level polities and private and public sector collaboration. Collaboration in tourism planning between government agencies is essential in assisting the tourism sector to develop and operate smoothly. This type of collaboration is necessary because it leads to cooperative tourism planning by reducing chance of the occurrence of misunderstandings and conflicts related to overlapping of the set goals. This is because most government agencies compete among themselves for the scarce operating funds. For instance, the department of Public Works and the Department of tourism might have equally important planned projects in a particular destination. However, due to scarcity of funds, decisions must be made by administrators to choose the best program to be supported. In this situation, efficiency can be attained if the two agencies collaborate by coordinating their efforts on development projects. If collaboration is achieved, less money will be spent and more funds will be divided and allocated to the development of the destination. Case study Multi-agency collaboration and joined up thinking are essential in many countries because tourism development calls for critical knowledge. This knowledge is, however, lacking among tourism managers in most nations. This is because the managers are probably not familiar with the proper ways of promoting the growth and development of regional cultures and local attractions. Joined-up thinking also assists in improving equity because a large number of stakeholders in the tourism industry are permitted to participate in decision making. In regions where tourism resources are shared by more than one autonomous polity, collaboration in tourism planning is necessary. This is because, through collaboration, integrated planning is being achieved. Collaboration in tourism planning is restricted by political boundaries in many nations. However, cross-border collaboration in tourism planning is practiced in a few parts of the world. This is because neighboring international destinations have realized the value of working together to develop and promote common resources that are important to the tourism industry. Due to collaboration in tourism planning, some destinations are promoting daily visits to areas in neighboring jurisdictions as an added attraction to the original destination. A lack of collaboration in tourism planning across political borders can result in environmental degradation on both sides of the border. This, in turn, creates a rift between the neighbors. This can also result in over-utilization or under-utilization of resources in one area compared with the neighboring region. Collaboration in tourism planning across borders can prevent or eliminate some degree of social, economic and environmental imbalances that might occur on the opposite sides of the border. This will, in turn, increase efficiency in tourism promotional efforts. Joined-up thinking and multi-organizational collaboration is needed since tourism requires a wide range of facilities and services. However, these facilities are owned and operated by private corporations or single individuals. Joined-up thinking assists in regulating and promoting regional tourism. These responsibilities in most areas, however, fall under government control. This implies that collaboration in tourism planning between public and private sectors is of great importance. Symbolic collaborative relationship should exist in all touristic destinations. This is because the public sector relies on the private sector to provide services and finance in the construction of tourist facilities. Conversely, without collaboration in tourism planning, development programs in the sector might be interfered with. This is because private investors need government approval and support in most projects. Furthermore, lack of joined-up thinking between the private and public sector initiatives might bring up competition thus resulting in destruction of the relations between the two sectors. Collaboration in tourism planning is needed because through the process, problems are completely solved basing on particular steps. Firstly, the problem is identified by the key stakeholders involved in the discussion. Secondly, the direction for solving the problem is identified. This usually involves sharing of the future collaborative interpretations and appreciating the sense of a common purpose. Lastly, the problem is solved basing on the nature and objective of the collaboration. The greatest leverage for the change in the tourism industry lies in multi-organizational collaboration in tourism planning. This is because the decisions made by single individuals or organizations change faster than those made through organizational collaboration. The values resulting from joined-up thinking in tourism planning are likely to beneficially shape the future of the upcoming individuals. Joined-up thinking and multi-agency tourism planning ensures the presence a requisite mass attractions and suitable accommodation. It also ensures the existence of adequate transportation that satisfies the tourists. In addition to the hospitality and courtesy of the local residents, collaboration in tourism planning facilitates the provision of necessary services like entertainment, health services and entertainment. Joined-up thinking in tourism planning facilitates the prevention of tourism development that exceeds the carrying capacity of the natural, economic and socio-cultural environment. This is because this kind of tourism development impacts negatively on the local community and the overall tourism industry. This occurs since the elements within the tourism system of the community have close interrelations. Multi-organizational collaboration in tourism planning will, therefore, assist stakeholders within the domain to become aware of the high degree of inter-dependence with one another and the natural environment. This, therefore, will motivate them to engage in collaboration. Collaboration in tourism planning explores opportunities that enable relevant stakeholders to have a voice in the policy-making process. The process draws on the webs of relations that exist in the local areas and builds the capacity of stakeholders. This helps the stakeholders participating in the collaboration to develop a more direct influence on their own lives. It is important to promote joined-up thinking because it enable participants with legitimate and conflicting interests in the local area to get involved in consensus-building and discourse1. Collaboration in tourism planning is necessary because it leads to the elimination of systemic constraints such as institutional practices and power inequalities that hinder developments in the tourism industry. Joined-up thinking in tourism planning is necessary because it builds good relations between stakeholders. It also helps in creating communication forms through which the conflicting interests and views of the participants can easily be identified in order to develop a consensus. In multi-organizational collaboration in tourism planning, a lot of emphasis is placed on respectful speaking and listening among the participants. This assists in finding quick solutions to the problems facing the tourism industry. Joined-up thinking in tourism planning contends that collective learning, dialogue forms and consensus building are mandatory in building confidence, mutual understanding and trust among the participants. This, in turn, assists in faster development of the tourism industry. Joined-up thinking in tourism planning allows citizens to get involved in the policy-making process thus creating a sense of satisfaction in them. This, in turn, impacts positively in the development of the tourism industry. The process also examines the broader processes of crafting between industry leaders and citizens concerning the vision for the development of a particular destination. Collaboration in tourism planning helps each individual to understand that tourism is an economic and a socio-cultural event with several social, environmental and cultural consequences. It thus assists people to accept tourism not only as a profitable economic activity but also as an activity that has the potential of causing harm to the natural and artificial environment. Tourism activities can also create cultural and social problems. The process, therefore, eliminates the possibilities of future problems that might arise as a result of individuals having a wrong understanding of tourism. Consequently, it creates a framework that guides tourism development actions and the strategic declaration of intent within which tourism is expected to grow. Limitations Collaboration in tourism planning leads to developments at the community level. This is because the process is cost-efficient. However, this depends on the selection of the stakeholders to participate in the collaboration. The selected stakeholders should include those from the local community and those from outside the locale of the community. The nature of tourism of benefiting both the public and single individuals forms a strong reason as to why the government should get involved in collaborative destination planning and development. In order to initiate and facilitate collaboration in tourism planning, a convener is required. A convener is a crucial component in coming up with decisions and it represents a pre-negotiation phase. Its role is to identify and bring all relevant stakeholders in the collaboration on the table. Depending on a local condition, specific institutions are responsible for urban development. This, therefore, makes it hard to determine a single administrative structure. Thus, in order to identify the specific administrative structure, collaboration in tourism planning is needed. This is why governments in various countries endorse the use of joined-up thinking in planning for tourism development. The governments achieve this by encouraging regular face-to-face meetings among various participants. The meetings assist in the creation of partnership with the potential of promoting discussions, negotiations and building mutually accepted proposals on the ways of developing tourism. Collaboration in tourism planning is necessary because it makes tourism sustainable by developing a framework that is able to handle the complex problem domain. The sustainable tourism development improves the quality of life of the local residents by optimizing economic benefits and protecting the artificial and the natural environment. It also gives visitors a high experience and provides long-term economic linkage between industries and communities living in the destination area. Sustained tourism also reduces the negative impacts of tourism to the environment while promoting the socio-cultural well being of the local communities. Getz, Donney and Hall’s views on tourism planning According to Getz, the national tourism policy has evolved in three stages since the World War 2. This was the period when the facilitation of travel was emphasized and focus directed towards its promotion. Getz asserts that it was after the war that tourism was recognized as an industry. This, in turn, resulted into a great interest in tourism planning. The aim of planning was to maximize economic growth. However, there were claims of the need of considerable reaction to the biasness of tourism planning. Consequently, this led to discussions about how to come up with alternative tourism planning methods. Getz gives alternative methods of tourism planning that might result to maximum social benefits, especially to the local communities2. He urges the tourism industry to practice forward-looking planning that is community-controlled as opposed to the typical remedial tourism planning. Getz gives reasons that lead to the failure in the tourism development plans. He locates the lack of integration of tourism into the whole economy as the major reason. He also points out insufficient attention that is directed to the socio-economic impacts of tourism. There are also inadequate plans to adapt to the ever changing conditions. According to Doxey, the local communities possessed several opinions concerning tourism planning during the initial stages of tourism development. However, at the end they experience a negative outlook. Doxey explains that tourism planning is about setting and meeting objectives. He asserts that tourism planning is developed by consultancy firm which rarely publish their private information. Tourism planning should be restricted to the measurement of the economic impacts for destination areas3. This is as a result of the ease with which the impacts of the economy can be measured in relation to social and environmental impacts. Since tourism activities highly depend on environmental protection and socio-cultural resources that attract tourists, planning is an essential activity for the success of a destination. According to Doxey, tourism planning is concerned with regulating and anticipating change in the sector. This, in turn, promotes orderly development that increases environmental, social and economic benefits of the tourism planning process. This, therefore, implies that tourism planning is a systematic sequence of operations that are designed to bring about achievements of a certain goal. According to Doxey, tourism planning is a tool that leads to the development of a destination area. He views it as a way of assessing the needs of a destination that receives tourists. The aim of planning is to generate employment and income. This ensures the conservation of resources and traveler satisfaction. Doxey explains that through planning, under-developed destinations receive guidelines that result in further tourism development. Hall suggests the use of systematic approaches in order to attain proper tourism planning. He explains that the point of focus in cybernetic systems is to promote the planning process in order to attain the expected outcomes4. Sustainable tourism issues Sustainable tourism is the development in the sector that meets the current requirements without compromising future generations in their quest to meet their needs5. It encourages the wise to make use of the conserved resources for the purpose of maintaining their long-term viability. Sustainable tourism involves fulfilling the needs of the local community and the visitors. It also involves boosting and protecting the touristic attractions for improved national economic supply6. Sustainable tourism issues involve the conservation of natural resources like water and energy. Sustainable tourism, therefore, supports the development of an eco-friendly environment7. Conclusion Joined-up thinking results to integrated tourism planning that assists in the management of the complex development process. Collaboration in tourism planning is viewed as an interactive approach that requires participation and physical interaction between responsible an organization, the unit of governance and the stakeholders in realizing the vertical and horizontal partnership in the planning process. Proper decision-making and development process in the tourism sector requires multi-stakeholder involvement in joined-up thinking at all planning levels. This will help in bringing together NGOs, governments, industry, residents and professional in a partnership that will determine the kind of tourism needed by the local community. Multi-agency participation in tourism planning, though time consuming, comes up with results that are most likely to be implemented since the stakeholders possess a greater degree of owning the plan and the process. Multi-agency collaboration and joined up thinking requires the recognition of individual mutual benefits that are likely to be derived from the process. The mutual benefits that are gained from the process include more efficient tourism development that improves the competitive advantage of the destination, high environmental and socio-cultural sustainability and avoidance of conflicts. For an organization to take part in collaborative tourism planning there must be recognition of interdependence and the realization of the significant benefits that arise from the process. Before joining collaboration in tourism planning, two essential factors should be considered. These factors include having a perception of the benefits that are likely to be derived from the collaboration and recognition of the importance of the issue of collaboration. Bibliography B. Bramwell and L. Bernard. 2000. Tourism, collaboration, and partnership politics, practice, and sustainability. Buffalo, Channel View Publications. B. Sue. 2006. Community development through tourism. Collingwood, Land Links. F. Pineda and C. Brebbia. 2004. Sustainable tourism. Southampton, WIT Press. K. Sharma. 2004. World tourism today. New Delhi, Sarup & Sons. K. Sharma. 2004. World tourism today. New Delhi, Sarup & Sons. M. Dieter, and B. Jansson. 2006. Tourism in peripheries perspectives from the far north and South. Wallingford, Cabi. R. Page, A. Stephen, and J. Connell. 2008. Sustainable tourism. London, Rutledge. S. Andrew. 2010. Sustainable tourism. Mankato, Arcturus Pub. Read More