Tourism planning is a complex process taking into account the various aspects as well as the segments of the tourism. Proper planning of the physical, legal, promotional, financial, economic, market, management, social and environmental aspects can help tourism develop in a beneficial way. We must remember here that tourism, today, is an economic activity and at many destinations the only source of livelihood of the people. Everyone has a stake in it – be it the government, service providers or the host population. Then why not acquaint all with good planning which defines the desired results and works in a systematic manner to achieve success.
Let us understand what are the steps involved in the planning process that will work in a logical sequence:
a) DEFINE THE SYSTEM: What is the scale, size, market, character and purpose?
b) FORMULATE OBJECTIVES: Without a set of objectives the development concept has no direction. The objectives must be comprehensive and specific and should include a timetable for completion.
c) DATA GATHERING: Fact finding, or research, provides basic data that are essential to developing the plan. Examples of data gathering are preparing a fact book, making market surveys, undertaking site and infrastructure surveys and analysing existing facilities and competition.
d) ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION: Once collected, the many fragments of information must be interpreted so that the facts gathered will have meaning. From this step results a set of conclusions and recommendations that leads to making or conceptualising a preliminary plan.
e) PRELIMINARY PLANNING: Based on the previous steps, alternatives are considered and alternative physical solutions are drawn up and tested. Frequently, scale models are developed to illustrate the land use plans; sketches are prepared to show the image the development will project; financial plans are drafted from the market information, site surveys and layout plan to show the investment needed in each phase of the project, the cash flow expected, the legal requirements, etc.
f) APPROVING THE PLAN: The parties involved can now look at plans, drawings, scale models, estimates of costs, estimates of profits and know what will be involved and what the chances for success or failure would be. While a great deal of money may have been spent upto this point, the sum is a relatively small amount compared to the expenditures that will be required once the plan is approved and its implementation begins.
g) FINAL PLAN: This phase typically includes a definition of the various aspects covered. For example, in the case of a destination a definition of land use; plans for infrastructure facilities such as roads; airports; bike paths; horse trails; pedestrian walkways; sewage; water and utilities; architectural standards; landscape plans, zoning and other land use regulations; economic analysis, market analysis and financial programming are to be covered.
h) IMPLEMENTATION: Implementation is operationalising the tourism plan. It also follows up, monitors and evaluates. Good planning provides mechanisms that give continuing feedback on the tourism project and the levels of consumer satisfaction reached.
IMPORTANCE OF TOURISM PLANNING :
The need and importance of tourism planning is now being recognized by tourism developers in many countries. Earlier, planning was very simplistically confined to the issues of accessibility (surface and air transport), accommodation and attractions. It was believed that if a destination had these three inputs, tourism would see an automatic progression. The result of making available these three A’s (Accessibility, Accommodation and Attractions) to the consumers without taking the overall view into consideration resulted in mass tourism. This ravaged many destinations completely. The most notable example being Caribbean and some destinations in the Mediterranean region.
In India, too, this has become a serious threat to tourism development. Many destinations have faced the negative social and environmental consequences of unplanned tourism growth. However, unlike the west, where remedial actions have resulted in planned and controlled growth, India still has to implement the planning ideas in a comprehensive manner.
In a nutshell, the maximum benefits from tourism and optimal utilization of the tourism industry can only occur if it is backed by proper planning and management.
Planning is the backbone for any and every project, be it the manufacturing or the service sector. Tourism is no exception and like every other industry a carefully planned growth will yield better results in tourism also.
The question as to why tourism planning is necessary has multiple answers, some of which can be understood as follows:
• Modern tourism it still a relatively new type of activity in many areas, and some governments and the private sector have little or no experience in how to properly develop it. A tourism plan and development programme can provide guidelines in those areas for developing this sector.
• Tourism is a complicated, multi-sectoral, and fragmented activity, involving other sectors such as agriculture, fisheries and manufacturing, historic, park and recreation features, various community facilities and services, and transportation and other infrastructure. Planning and project development coordination are particularly necessary to ensure that all these elements are developed in an integrated manner to serve tourism as well as the general needs in a society.
• Much of tourism is essentially selling a product of an experience comprised of visitor use of certain facilities and services. There must be a careful matching of the tourist markets and products through the planning process. But this matching should be without compromising environmental and socio-cultural objectives in meeting market demands.
• Tourism can bring various direct and indirect economic benefits that can best be optimized through careful and integrated planning. Without planning, these benefits may not be fully realized. On the contrary, economic problems can arise.
• Tourism can generate various socio-cultural benefits or problems. Planning can be used as a process for optimizing the benefits and preventing or lessening the problems. It can also be used for determining what is the best tourism development policy to preclude socio-cultural problems and to utilize tourism as a means to achieve cultural conservation objectives.
• The development of tourist attractions, facilities, and infrastructure and tourist movements generally has positive and negative impacts on the physical env ironment. Careful planning is required to determine the optimum type and level of tourism that will not result in environmental degradation. Through planning on can utilize tourism as a means to achieve environmental conservation objectives.
• There is much justifiable concern expressed today about development of any type, including tourism, being sustainable. The right type of planning can ensure that the natural and cultural resources for tourism are indefinitely maintained and not destroyed or degraded in the process of development.
• Like any type of modern development, forms of tourism change somewhat through time, based on changing market trends and other circumstances. Planning can be used to upgrade and revitalize existing outmoded or badly developed tourism areas. Through the planning process, new tourism areas can be planned to allow for future flexibility of development.
• Tourism requires development of human resources with particular skills and capabilities. Hence, there must be appropriate education and training. Satisfying these manpower needs requires careful planning and programming and, in many cases, developing specialized training facilities.
• Achieving controlled tourism development requires special organizational structures, marketing strategies and promotion programmes, legislation and regulations, and fiscal measures. The comprehensive and integrated planning process can be related closely to tourism policy and development.
• Planning provides a rational basis for development staging and project programming. These are important for both the public and private sectors in their investment planning.
The identification of trends in tourism and a concern with factors shaping future events and developments are two significant features that have emerged in tourism planning in recent years. Not only are they able to maximise returns and maintain existing resources, they are also able to retain their competitiveness in an ever changing industry. Planning, thus, has to remain as a centre-stage, ongoing and flexible activity if both the destinations as well as the tourism industry have to survive in the international market place .
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