Approach to Destination Management, Tourism Policy & Planning - Coursework Example

RUNNING HEAD: DESTINATION MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS Destination Management Analysis Name Institution Date Introduction As highlighted by Howie (2003), the 1990s were marked by optimistic expectation and retrospection of the anticipated new millennium. The past few decades had witnessed significant reassessment of the various long-held values that eventually resulted in a paradigm shift hence the emergence of contemporary destination development values. The most significant in particular is the increased awareness of the various environmental impacts that come along with destination development as well as the cultural and the social implications arising from it. This has similarly led to a thorough reassessment of particular key assumptions including future directions in terms of destination growth/development not only within but also between nations. According to Howie (2003) therefore, there is a good reason of taking an optimistic perspective regarding the fact that a fundamental change is currently taking place within various sectors in reaction to the desire for a fairer, quite ethical and environmentally sensitive development pattern globally. This contemporary interest in respect of sustainable development therefore remains a key element in sustainable/responsible tourism development. This particular paper therefore intends to provide a detailed destination management analysis of Sidney City as a tourist destination while also taking into account the various theories, concepts or approaches involved. Stage of development Tourism forms a significant part of Sidney’s economy. According to Euromonitor International (2012) for instance, in 2010 alone Sydney received domestic visitors numbering approximately 7 million with the international visitors totaling to about 2.7 million tourists. The city’s most famous attractions include the Luna Park, the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Tower, the Royal Botanical Garden and its beaches (Tourism Australia, 2013).With all the numerous attractions and the visitor numbers, Smith (2005) highlights that a destination’s development can only be grouped under a particular stage within the Butler’s six-stage tourist destination development model, including the exploration stage, involvement stage, development stage, consolidation stage, stagnation stage and the decline/rejuvenation stage. According to this model, Sidney City categorically fits in the stagnation stage. The stagnation stage is a particular stage within Butler’s model that is characterized by mass tourism. In this very stage, peak numbers have often been reached with few new tourists arriving while the common tourists are the ones seeking similar experiences as those in their countries but only with a pleasant climate. In addition, natural environment of the destination could be destroyed besides them being hidden by various artificial attractions as well as infrastructures in places. In this case, the problems along with negative tourism effects often become evident. Furthermore; the particular destination is often too much commercialized and overcrowded. According to Nagle (1998) & Dennis (2013), this particular stage may also be characterized by rising local opposition/resistance to the tourism activities and an increasing awareness of potential problems arising from it. This is the same scenario that was experienced during the Sidney Olympic Games held in the year 2000 where the Australians protested upon the announcement that the sport would be staged at Sydney’s most popular/famous beaches. They particularly resented against the community’s resources being isolated for a major temporary event. Approach to Destination Management The tourism industry is a very complex network involving interrelated organizations, both the public sector and private sector, and stakeholders working together. In view of this, the Australian Regional Tourism Network (2013) emphasizes that such a destination’s success depends on an effectively coordinated approach aimed at development, marketing, planning, and management of this particular destination. The Australian Regional Tourism Network (2013) argues that a well-defined structure of the destination’s management offers the destination’s managers as well as its stakeholders an opportunity to negotiate a sustainable and effective destination development, continuing management and successful marketing outcomes. According to the Australian Regional Tourism Network (2013), best approach to destination management is the holistic approach, which through the holistic process ensures that tourism increases value to a destination’s economy, its social fabric as well as the ecology of the economy. Tourism while being an important economic driver in the destination, it generates employment opportunities as well as contributing significant lifestyle gains to the community. On the other hand, tourism ought to be effectively managed in order to guarantee a positive/better legacy for the present and even future generations. Adopting the holistic approach to destination management is thus emphasized in Sidney since it ensures that the destination’s objectives are properly planned and effectively managed not only to satisfy the needs and the aspiration of the involved community but also to adequately address the particular destination’s unique context. Significantly, among the most important outcomes of a holistic approach to a destination management is the development of a tourism destination that is strong and resilient and which also has a dynamic as well as adaptive products and experiences adapting to the visitor and community needs (Australian Regional Tourism Network, 2013). System of governance Governance can generally be described as various network concepts describing as well as analyzing how the various policy processes are developed, managed, organized and implemented. According to Nordin (2007), destination governance has recently received increased attention, attributed to the fact that destination management offers no explanations as to why some particular mechanisms occur as well as what conditions influence the outcomes of the practice. Research on destination governance aimed at providing reasons behind specific situations has thus suggested various concepts crucial towards destination management/planning. In the case of Sydney City, the network-based destination governance is recommended as it basically entails a kind of self-organization within Sydney as a tourist destination. This generally involves the cooperation among individuals and firms involved within Sydney’s tourism, while also being shaped by its institutional context, organization rules and the laws guiding conduct. One of the significant reasons behind destination governance in the case of Sydney is related to the differences evident between the institutional and the individual analysis level as well as the various control variables which ought to be analyzed to achieve effectiveness in destination management. The primary focus is thus on networks, partnerships and the relationships between both the public sector and the private sector. As asserted by Nordin (2007) therefore, destination governance is generally about various actors, their functions/roles and the relations involved. Research undertakings/application of research It is fundamental that general tourism planning within Sidney is underpinned by reliable, solid research, consistently conducted on the basis of an ongoing process. Most importantly, the destination’s situation analysis, its product development and the target-market segment of the development plan ought to present clear and articulated data to be used in the destination’s planning. The new data collected also needs to be shared with operators through bulletins, web pages, fact sheets or even industry briefings where need be. For instance, the facts and figures part of Sydney’s tourism website containing information updated on a regular basis, including the international and the domestic visitation as well as the expenditure trends. There are as well fact sheets providing visitor information based on the product segment, region and global market (Ryan & Page, 2000). Application of the common data will consequently facilitate Sydney’s overall development in addition to supporting its marketing thrusts. In addition, regularly conducting “health checks” of the destination through the involvement of the external planning consultancy may in effect enhance the state of the destination. A survey on various tourism as well as hospitality businesses of the particular destination provides an overview of its growth or its decline in the operator numbers, levels of employment, capital investment, business income, industry confidence, and the potential impacts on destination. Together with the available data obtained from various relevant sources, the stakeholders involved are provided with a constant evaluation regarding the destination’s returns on investment (Ryan & Page, 2000). Tourism Policy & Planning Tourism policy and planning is very significant for Sydney as a tourist destination within Australia. To ensure Sydney remains among the world’s very successful tourist’s destinations, the role of both policy and planning have to be accorded equal significance. However, according to Ryan & Page (2000), this is not often the case. A particular feature frequently ignored during the analysis of tourist destinations/organizations and tourism planning is the role and significance of policy as well as how planning is developed, negotiated and eventually steered through the various processes. Sidney as a tourist destination has tourism promotion and recreation as one of its primary objectives hence it must ensure it has a clear policy regarding its tourism type and the actual visitor numbers needed. An effective plan to mitigate and prevent the adverse impacts, either within the destination or outside the destination is as well considered fundamental. This will offer guidance regarding sustainable tourism in addition to providing guidance on international schemes giving recognition to the initiatives that adopt higher environmental standards (Ryan & Page, 2000). The policy thus ought to outline the way Sydney as a destination can maximize on the benefits accrued from tourism while also minimizing the negative environmental impacts and conflicts/misunderstandings with the local stakeholders. Generally, it ought to reflect the Australian tourism policy as well as development plans. Stakeholders According to Sustainable Tourism Online (2010), the identification and understanding of who the various stakeholders are in a particular destination are alongside their various interests is pertinent to developing an effective engagement process that enhances the coordination between the various stakeholders in the management of the destination. The tourism sector in Sydney consists of an intricate network of various stakeholders as well as groups interested in developing, managing and marketing tourism within this particular destination. The commitment, support and cooperation of the various stakeholders towards the destination is without a doubt essential in the long term tourism sustainability of this destination. The growth of this particular destination has not only led to the establishment of the local stakeholder groups, but has also established national and regional groups to serve the interests of the destination. Some of the stakeholders involved in furthering the interests of the destination include industry operators (the accommodation operators/hoteliers, tour operators, travel agents), government departments and the relevant associations, visitors/tourists, the community, industry associations, landowners, tourism-related organizations, investors/developers, community groups and the environmental groups (Sustainable Tourism Online,2010). The visitors and the community underpin the general stakeholder structure with tourism operators and suppliers supplying products and experiences as necessary. On the other hand, local tourism organizations deal with local visitor activities and service standards while the state tourism organization engages in state marketing, development, leadership, policy development and coordination. Forms of Tourism Sydney’s laidback out-door lifestyle as well as its physical appeal makes it among the globe’s most attractive cities. Within Sidney, there are various forms of tourism notable among them being the cultural tourism. Sidney is known for its multicultural, dynamic and diverse cultural life with most of its individual cultures making up the destination’s mosaic being centered on the ethnic, cultural, linguistic, artistic and the religious communities facilitated by the immigration waves. As a significant global destination, it is also recognized for its vibrant scenes in terms of theatricals, literary, musical, visual as well as other artistic activities (Destination NSW, 2013). Due to this, it has been known to be having a longstanding but friendly rivalry with Melbourne in terms of which destination should own the title, “Australia’s arts Capital”. Foods and wines tourism also forms another significant attraction within this particular destination. Long-established as one of the most prominent wine producing regions globally, where apart from enjoying wine, tourists can also be given the opportunity to make wine on their own. Sydney is also regarded as among the world’s leading dining destinations and therefore has lots of tours with itineraries that suit various tastes. Its famous foods and wines culture is made even more attractive by international chefs; outstanding outdoor locations and the fresh summer produce (The Sydney Morning Herald, 2007). Other forms of tourism dominant in this particular destination include festivals and events tourism, wildlife tourism and sports tourism. Application of Sustainability Indicators (Social, Economic, & Environmental) As highlighted by Yunis (2004), due to the tourism sector’s rapid expansion, both the traditional and the emerging destinations are experiencing rising pressures on their environments including the social, cultural, economic and natural environments. Within this particular destination, there are particular data as well as information which may serve as valuable sustainability indicators when their sustainability relevance is clearly understood. The commonly employed and easily-understood indicators are the economic aspects such as tourism revenues, the involved expenditures, tourism base-line data and various statistics such as visitor arrivals, accommodation capacities and the overnight spends. The data can also indicate stress levels on resources, for instance, on the environmental aspects like water supply and waste (tourist consumption of water per room, quantity of wastage from tourists during peak seasons).Similarly, social indicators within the destination are the social issues pertaining to the host community including tourists’ ratios and the population within various periods of any given year. These indicators can only be better understood if they are linked to the tourists’ numbers (Yunis, 2004). Destination Marketing Continued promotion of this particular destination is carried out by the Destination New South Wales operating through two strategic levels including support of Australia’s marketing effort which also entails Sydney’s promotion and ensuring that this particular destination not only attracts more visitor arrivals but also visitor nights (Destination NSW,2012). The marketing priorities emphasize on targeting additional source markets, extending product range and improving visitor experience. Nonetheless, Destination NSW is continuing to undertake extensive market examination to identify various strategic directions guiding tourism development along with the marketing initiatives. Competition and Collaboration The tourism industry entails various organizations that create and deliver services including resorts, food and beverage, accommodation and transports hence the dependency on each other to effectively run their businesses, and this involves significant collaborations within and outside this particular destination. An instance is Sydney’s collaboration with Hunter’s region where while Sydney peaks during the weekdays, the Hunter region peaks over the weekends. They thus collaborate so that attractive rates are offered to ease demand loads, a factor argued to increase the destination’s competitiveness (Cooper et.al, 2006). On the other hand, competition is rife within this particular destination especially in relation to government development funding, where also the kind of assistance needed also presents competition in itself. Tour operators who are involved in offering other unique experiences in the region are as well presented with interregional and interglobal competition. Intertype competition between wine tourism and other tourism forms, however, presents a great challenge where a significant reduction in wine tourism in favour of other types of attractions has been noted (Cooper et.al, 2006). Tourism Trend According to The Sydney Morning Herald (2011), Sydney destination remains the heart of Australia’s tourism with over 50% of all the international tourist arrivals spending their holidays in Sydney. For instance, during the year 2009, international overnight tourists spent more than 5.2 billion dollars in this particular destination while the domestic overnight tourists spent approximately 4.5 billion dollars (Tourism Australia, 2010).Further, it is reported that the destination recorded about 33 percent share of the international tourists as compared to other destination cities. Potential Opportunities for Tourism to Deliver Sustainable/Responsible Destination Development in line with Global Trends, Constraints involved and Suggestions to Overcome Challenges The past years of significant growth in Sydney’s tourism has been a significant factor driving change in terms of the environment, the economy and the society in general. This has however initiated the parallel requirement for effective planning, cooperation and coordination as regards the destination’s tourism growth. From the analysis, the possibility of Sydney realizing responsible/sustainable tourism, which is in line with global trends, is increasingly evident. Proper tourism management in light of the various sustainability issues have been highlighted as quite significant in achieving this goal, a factor that clearly indicates the destination’s efforts to deliver sustainable/responsible destination development (Tourism NSW, 2002). . As highlighted in the above analysis, the rising pressures on the environments including the social, cultural, economic and natural environments within this particular destination, serve as valuable sustainability indicators relevant to devising strategies to realizing the sustainability goal. Strategies aiming at dispersing tourists in a careful and planned manner are significant due to the fact that they reduce the conventional peaks and troughs/declines of the seasonal visitations experienced in this particular destination, thereby achieving consistency in terms of the tourist flows crucial to businesses and the communities involved. A particular untapped opportunity is presented by the backpacker tourism market known for spending more, travelling far and staying longer than the rest of the international visitors (Tourism NSW, 2002). Another potential opportunity is presented in the form of effective destination management whereby sustainability in the destination’s tourism also stands to benefit from an effective approach to destination management focusing on major environmental, economical and social issues, especially around pressure point areas of the destination experiencing higher seasonal demands. Similarly, new developing tourism areas within the destination can be monitored in addition to being effectively managed to ensure that potential problems arising are not only identified but dealt with in advance before becoming major issues. On the other hand, making the varying tourism patterns as well as demands a significant part of the respective government’s planning and policy-making will become a significant decisive factor in terms of delivering the essential outcomes (Tourism NSW, 2002). Nevertheless, the main challenge for this particular destination remains the development and retention of growth markets having sustained and progressive improvements in terms of yields while also effectively managing the various impacts generated by concentrated tourist numbers at the destination along with its precincts (STCRC, 2008). As such, it is important that the destination values every element contributing to the positive tourist experiences as this will lead to providing capacity-building within the destination. Visitor accessibility is also a significant factor to be incorporated as this not only expands the destination’s tourism markets but also generates more revenues. Accessibility to the destination is therefore paramount and should encompass all the tourism markets without excluding the disabled and the seniors. However, with various structural barriers such as inadequate information within the broader industry, realizing this goal may be a challenge here. As such, STCRC (2008) contends that information must be made available as it will profile the destination’s success in operating accessible tourism. Conclusion From the above analysis, it is clearly evident that the management of tourist destinations is not only challenging but also a complex process that requires significant contribution from all the stakeholders. Sydney as a tourist destination has been highlighted as one of the top tourist destinations globally. This has however come along with some responsibilities relating to sustainability issues. The fact that key sustainability indicators including environmental, economic and social indicators play a fundamental role in the overall destination betterment therefore cannot be overlook as they have a crucial in as far as the present and the future of the destination is concerned. References Australian Regional Tourism Network. (2013). The Guide to best Practice Destination Management Cashman, R. (2002).Impact of the Games on Olympic host cities Cooper, C et.al (2006).The Network Structure of Tourism Operators in Three Regions of Australia Dennis, A. (2013). Too Expensive' Sydney Slips from top 10 Tourism List. The Sydney Morning Herald Destination NSW. (2013). Sydney, Retrieved on the 24th September, 2013 from Read More