BARRIERS TO TOURISM PLANNING

1. Many people are against planning in principle; particularly within the free-enterprise system. Many
businessmen view tourism planning as an encroachment into their domain and are skeptical of it real
value.
2. It is expensive. Effective tourism planning must be based upon detailed resource analysis and market
Research.
3. The tourism industry is complex and diverse; government activities have an impact on tourism
activities.
4. Tendency of individual operators to consider themselves as being in the hotel industry or restaurant
industry rather than accepting their broader role in the tourism industry.

THE TOURISM PLANNING PROCESS

Planning is a process that must keep up with the changing character of the world and of the destination
area. The planning procedure follows a step-by-step pattern:

1. Background-analysis phase
2. Detailed research and analysis phase
3. Synthesis phase
4. Goal setting, strategy selection, and objective-setting phase
5. Plan-development phase

I. Background Analysis

 The first step in the tourism-planning process is a situational analysis that provides the basic
direction for the succeeding steps. Most destinations areas have some existing tourism activity
and regulatory/policy framework for the industry.
 The tourism policy goal or goals are the long-term targets in the destination are that provide the
frame and rationale for supporting goals and objectives. The background analysis should
produce an inventory or listing of the area’s tourism resources components.
 The third step is a description of existing tourism demand in the destination area using readily
available secondary or published sources of information. Ideally, this information gives a profile
of demand along the following lines:

 Modes of travel to and within the destination area and past usage volumes (aircraft,
bus, train, ship, private automobile)
 Visitation volumes and patterns by month or season
 Geographical origins of tourists
 Geographical destinations of tourists
 Tourist demographics (age, income, education, occupation & travel party composition)
 Trip purposes
 Activity participation
 Market segments
 Lengths of stay in the area
 Tourist expenditure in the area
 Usage of facilities such as accommodation, attractions, events, and recreational facilities
  The final step in the background analysis is a review of the major strengths, weaknesses,
problems and issues within the destination area’s existing tourism industry.

Component Subcomponent

Natural Features Landscapes

Scenery
Unique features
Flora and fauna
Historical and Cultural Features Buildings
Sites
Themes
Communities/sub-communities
Tourist Operations & Facilities Attractions
Accommodations
Food Service
Events
Hospitality Services Information centers
Reservation systems
Commercial stores & services (banks, retail stores)
Transportation systems
-road
-rail
-airport
Underground services
Human Resources Population and work force
Ethnic community
Attitude toward tourism
General Socioeconomic Employment/unemployment
Industries
Economic conditions
Social problems
Present Land Uses Land ownership
Planning and zoning regulations
Future growth and development

II. Detailed Research and Analysis

A valid tourism plan cannot be formulated without research. It should be concentrated into four distinct
areas: RESOURCES, ACTIVITIES, MARKETS & COMPETITION.

Using the tourism resource components as base, the first step in RESOURCE ANALYSIS involves the
preparation of maps identifying the location of major resources. The capacities of the various tourism
resources are then measured. The last stage is the resource classification; or a ranking or grading of the
scope of appeal of the tourism resources of the destination area. In effect, the individual resources or
zones within the destination are described as being of international, national, regional or local
significance.

The second component is the ACTIVITY ANALYSIS wherein activities include all the things the tourist can
do while visiting the destination area. It is necessary to classify the activities according to their range of
appeal. It is also important to identify the months of the year in which these activities can be pursued.
As seasonality besets many destination areas, this part of the analysis helps determine those activities
that will generate demand outside of peak periods.

Thirdly, a good tourism plan will include original research on the existing and potential markets for the
destination area. The original research carries out one or more surveys of existing tourists and potential
tourists. Surveys of existing tourists are normally carried on while they are within the destination area.
(personal interview technique is normally used at exit/entry points or at important tourism facilities). A
variety of such techniques can be utilized to research potential markets. These include personal
interviews, group sessions, telephone interviews, mail-out/mail back questionnaires. They can be
directed towards the individual pleasure travelers in a specific geographic market (household surveys)
or aimed at the channels of distribution ( tour wholesalers/operators and travel agents) and other travel
influences (convention planners, club/affinity group executives, corporate travel departments). This
research helps determine attitude towards future travel to the destination area, levels of awareness of
the area’s tourism resource components, images of the area, the major competitive destinations and
the steps needed to attract potential visitors.

Lastly, a tourism plan must consider the competitive advantages of future plans of other areas as well as
its own. Destination areas closer to a prime market are called intervening opportunities because the
tourist must pass them to reach the subject destination area. The detailed market research can assist in
identifying the most competitive destinations, their individual strengths and weaknesses and the steps
to be taken to make the subject destination area unique among its competitors.

III. SYNTHESIS

One of the most important and creative steps in the tourism planning process. A comprehensive
tourism plan will produce conclusions on five distinct subjects:

a. Tourism development
b. Tourism marketing
c. Tourism industry organization
d. Tourism awareness
e. Other tourism support services and activities

The first step in the synthesis phase is the preparation of position statements on each of the five
subjects. The position statements indicates “where we are now” with respect to development
marketing, industry organization, awareness and other support services. One of the participating groups
is given the responsibility of preparing preliminary position statements, usually either the tourism
consultants or the public sector tourism officials. These are then reviewed and discussed by all
participants and a consensus is reached on the final wording of the statements. Position statements may
be expressed in one sentence or documented in several pages.
The second step is to determine “where we would like to be” or the desired future situation. It is useful
for the destination area to verbalize these desired states in terms of tourism development, marketing,
industry organization, awareness and support services. Tourism plans provide the “bridge” between the
present situation in a destination area. They provide the means to the end.

IV. Goal-Setting, Strategy Selection and Objective Setting

The fourth step in the tourism planning process is to define the planning goals, strategies and objectives.
They must be complementary to policy goals and objectives.

A tourism plan has a relatively short life-span, usually five years, and its planning goals should be
achieved within that period. A destination area with an economy-oriented policy approach may want to
obtain the maximum economic impact from tourism within the life span of the plan. This area will
probably adopt a planning goal that emphasizes the development and marketing of specific resources
components which are likely to produce the greatest economic return within the planning period.

Once the planning goals have been set, there are various approaches or strategies that can be employed
to achieve them. Within a specific destination area, different approaches or strategies may be used for
the sub-areas within it. Some sub-areas may have economy-oriented strategies. The tourism plan
objectives come logically from the selected strategy.

V. Plan Development

The last step is the development of the plan which includes the actions needed to achieve the
objectives, implement the strategy and satisfy the planning goals. A comprehensive plan deals with the
development, marketing, industry organization, awareness and support services. It takes each of the
plan objectives and specifies the following for each of them:

a. The programs and actions required to achieve each plan objective

b. The roles and responsibilities of the public and private sector in carrying out these programs
and actions
c. The specific development and marketing concepts and opportunities that will help achieve
certain objectives
d. The funds required to carry out specific programs and actions
e. The sources of these funds
f. The timetable for carrying out specific programs and actions within the plan
g. The method for monitoring the success of the plan on a periodic basis during its term

Once the tourism plan has been laid out in detail, it is then written in formal reports, either by a private
tourism consulting firm or by public sector tourism officials. The tourism plan reports are presented in
two parts. The first is the summary report containing the plan itself, while the second is a more detailed
technical report containing all the research, findings and conclusions produced during the planning
process. The reports are usually prepared in draft and reviewed and revised by public and private sector
representatives before they are finalized for publication.