1

Chapter One

Introduction

1.0 Introduction

The concept of sustainable development has had a considerable impact on the study of

tourism development, planning and management. As a subset of sustainable

development theory, sustainable tourism planning has been seen by many as a means of

maximising the positive and minimising the negative impacts of tourism activity on

destination communities. Although the concept has received in-principle support from

academia, government and industry, more critical viewpoints have emerged questioning

the extent to which sustainability doctrine is actually put into tourism planning practice.

Therefore this study investigated the transference of sustainable tourism theory to

practice by examining the extent to which the sustainable tourism planning philosophy is

utilised in the planning practices of local tourism destinations in Queensland.

Additionally the study sought to develop a theoretical framework to facilitate the

application of sustainability principles to local tourism destination planning.

To provide a background to the research issue and objectives, this chapter begins with an

overview of the recognised need for tourism destination planning, the subsequent

emergence of sustainable tourism planning and the more recent arguments for utilising

the strategic visioning approach to tourism destination planning. The research issue and

gaps in the body of knowledge are addressed before the three research objectives of the

study are articulated. Also provided is a brief overview of the research methodology and

the key methods employed to address the research issue. The study context is then

outlined detailing the significance of tourism to Australia and Queensland. Also

examined is tourism within the Australian governmental system and more specifically

local government planning for tourism in Queensland. The final section of the chapter

outlines the structure of the thesis, providing a brief overview of the purpose and contents

of each of the chapters.

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1.1 Background

Tourism has had a profound impact upon destinations worldwide, and the 808 million

international arrivals in 2005 indicate the magnitude and economic significance of global

tourist activity (World Tourism Organization [WTO], 2006). Tourism can undoubtedly

create positive economic returns for destination countries; foreign exchange earnings,

employment growth, tax revenues, and can substantially stimulate the economy overall

(Inskeep, 1991). In the years following World War II, with the recognised beginning of

mass tourism, nations, states, cities and regional areas began actively promoting

themselves as tourism destinations, committing considerable funds towards tourism

development (Ritchie & Crouch, 2000). However by the mid 1960s other, more

cautionary and critical viewpoints about tourism were being aired (Jafari, 1990). It had

become evident that along with its positive returns, tourism activity also brought many

negative influences to a destination, often adversely impacting upon the natural

environment and social fabric of the destination community. Concerns over ecological

impacts and a wish to preserve cultural identities arose as the somewhat uncontrolled

growth of tourist facilities and movements threatened natural environments, burdened the

limited resources of some destinations and the economic benefits were realised to be

seasonal and somewhat uncertain. As Coccossis (1996, p.1) states,

“The expansion of tourism has had a profound impact on many

destinations. In some areas it has revitalised local economies whilst in

others it has destroyed them; in some areas it has reinforced local identity

whilst in others it has destroyed customs, traditions and social relations; in

some areas it has helped protect environmentally sensitive areas whilst in

others it has wrought havoc with local ecosystems and local resources”.

The negative impacts of tourism have primarily been attributed to inadequate or non-

existent planning frameworks for tourism development. As Murphy (1985) noted,

tourism was seized upon with little forethought concerning a viable tourism product, the

social and environmental consequences of development, or the spill over effects into

surrounding areas. The failure to proactively plan for tourism development has left many

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destinations with a legacy of social and environmental consequences. The experience of

such destinations has shown that it is often too late to reverse or redirect unwanted

development once it has become established in a destination and these destinations will

always suffer from environmental and social problems that are both detrimental to

tourists and residents (Gunn, 1994; Hall, 1998). Therefore it has been widely advocated

that tourism development should not be permitted to progress in an ad hoc manner

without an overall guiding framework and predetermined strategies toward development

objectives (Hall, 2000; WTO, 1994).

Various tourism planning approaches have evolved over the years including the

economic, physical, environmental and community approaches, and as their names

indicate, have tended to focus on specific aspects of destination planning and

management. However the sustainable tourism planning approach has emerged as one of

the most comprehensive and accepted approaches, and can generally be viewed as

encompassing the key ideals of each of the previously mentioned planning methods. The

sustainable concept arose in response to broader international concerns over ecological

issues. It has been advocated for the tourism sector as a possible solution to the

environmental and social degradation of the industry’s resources and due to the fact that

tourism is a resource dependent industry (Cooper, 1995; Murphy, 1998).

The sustainable approach to tourism planning is based on the achievement of two

prerequisites: a strategic and long-term orientation in tourism planning and multiple

stakeholder participation in the planning process (Simpson, 2001). The first of these

prerequisites requires strategic planning to supersede conventional planning approaches

(Dutton & Hall, 1989). Strategy as it applies to sustainable tourism planning and

development seeks to achieve three basic strategic objectives: conservation of tourism

resource values; enhanced experiences of the visitors who interact with tourism

resources; and the maximization of the economic, social and environmental returns to

stakeholders in the host community (Hall, 2000). The second identified prerequisite is

the engagement and participation of multiple stakeholder groups in the planning and

decision-making process. This is considered a pivotal issue in a sustainable approach as

4

in typical planning processes stakeholders are consulted minimally near the end of the

process, which leaves little chance for meaningful input into the process. Therefore

authors such as Faulkner (2003) have claimed that the achievement of sustainable

development objectives hinges on the adoption of a participatory model, involving the

meaningful engagement of the community, along with industry stakeholders and relevant

government agencies, with the objective of generating agreement on planning directions

and goals. Based on these two identified prerequisites, under the sustainable approach

tourism planning is strategic, that is it is proactive and adopts a long-term planning

horizon, while also seeking out and being responsive to stakeholder needs (Hall, 2000;

Ritchie, 1999).

While the theoretical concepts of sustainable tourism development have been well

addressed in the academic literature, authors have recently begun to investigate practical

processes, models and frameworks so that the sustainable tourism philosophy,

encompassing the previously mentioned caveats, can be implemented at the destination

level. One model which is beginning to receive attention for its underpinning

sustainability philosophy is the concept of strategic visioning (Faulkner, 2003; Ritchie,

1999). Strategic visioning for tourism destinations has been described as a new but

important extension of the more common process of strategic planning in tourism

(Ritchie, 1999). Even though the direction for tourism development is implicit in a

traditional strategic planning process, strategic visioning has a stronger emphasis on

bringing together the views of the many and varied stakeholders of the destination

community through collaborative and participative processes with the objective of

establishing directions for tourism development in the longer term so the principles of

sustainable tourism development are adopted as a fundamental philosophical foundation

for the planning process (Ritchie, 1999). The process is founded on destination

stakeholders being actively involved in decision making and planning for future

development, through a publicly driven process based on stakeholder values and

consensus. This consensus is expressed through the ‘sharing of a common vision’ which

provides an agreed benchmark towards which both the general community and the

tourism sector can more effectively direct their efforts (Faulkner, 2003; Ritchie, 1999).

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While the ideal vision may not always be realized, the process does provide a means for

ensuring that a longer-term perspective informs day-to-day decision-making, as opposed

to ad hoc and centralised decision-making, which is an often-cited problem in tourism

planning.

Although the concept of strategic visioning as a tourism destination planning process is

relatively new, its theoretical underpinnings and empirical evidence from several

practical applications, suggest that it may be a useful process for achieving the

sustainable approach, while incorporating the caveats of strategic planning and multiple

stakeholder participation. For example Faulkner (2003) reports that the development and

articulation of a shared vision among Gold Coast stakeholders was the initial and most

critical step in the consultative process that lead to the development of the destination’s

tourism strategy. The objective was to develop a vision that ensured consensus among

primary stakeholders and in turn provided a focus for the strategic planning process and a

vehicle for mobilising cooperative action (Faulkner, 2003).

1.2 Research Issue

While the theory of sustainable tourism planning has been discussed at length in the

literature, with numerous case studies attesting to the fact that tourism destinations have

realised the error of their ways and are now embracing planning practices based on the

philosophies of sustainability, some authors disagree. There have been suggestions that

the tourism industry has been slow to adopt sustainability principles and actually put

them into practice due to the fact that economic motivations are always given priority

over social and ecological issues. The result being that the economic approach is still the

dominant tradition towards tourism development and planning practiced in many

countries and destinations (Getz, 1986; Hall, 1998).

A further issue that the literature has overlooked is how the sustainable paradigm is

actually applied in practice. It has been suggested that a preoccupation with defining the

concept of sustainable tourism has seen the practical aspects ignored, with Garrod and

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Fyall (1998) claiming that tourism researchers have spent so much time ‘squabbling’

over definitions that they have not considered how the concept might actually be

implemented in practice. Similarly Faulkner (2003) finds that although participation and

collaboration in tourism planning has been widely discussed in the literature, this has

been at the expense of developing clear and concise formulas for how this can occur in

practice. Where models have been proposed, such as strategic visioning, aside from

some descriptive accounts they have not been examined in detail. Simpson (2001, p.4)

also noted such discrepancies,

“Whilst the concepts of stakeholder participation and strategic orientation are

widely endorsed as valuable contributors to sustainable development, there have

been no previous attempts to gauge the extent to which such considerations play

their part in real world tourism planning processes”.

1.3 Research Objectives

The deviations between sustainable tourism planning theory and practice represent a

significant gap in the body of knowledge. Therefore, the aim of this study was to firstly

examine the extent to which sustainable development principles, including the identified

prerequisites of strategic planning and stakeholder participation, are integrated into the

planning practices of local tourism destinations in Queensland. The second aim was to

examine the applicability of strategic visioning as a practical planning model for

integrating sustainability theory into tourism destination planning. The aims of the study

were expressed through three research objectives:

1. To investigate the current planning practices of local tourism destinations in

Queensland to determine the extent to which the principles of sustainable

development, strategic planning and stakeholder participation are integrated into

the tourism planning process.

2. To examine destination stakeholders perceptions of the local tourism planning

process and the extent to which the principles of sustainable development,

strategic planning and stakeholder participation underpin the process.

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3. To consider the applicability of strategic visioning as a practical planning

approach for implementing sustainable development principles, strategic planning

and stakeholder participation into local tourism destination planning.

The study focused specifically on the planning practices of local tourism destinations in

Queensland, Australia (Figure 1.1). Although the integration of sustainable development

principles into tourism planning for all types of destinations is vital; local tourism

destinations were investigated for this study as it is at the local or community level where

tourism’s negative influences are generally felt most acutely (Aronsson, 2000; Ashworth,

1995; Nijkamp & Verdonkschot, 1995; Tosun, 1998). A further factor is that the local

level is often characterised by inadequate tourism planning frameworks and coordination

between stakeholders, compounded by the fact that the local government authority has

considerable influence over tourism development in the area. The literature also

indicates that a strategic visioning process may be of considerable benefit to local level

planning processes. Due to the researcher’s location local tourism destinations (equated

with Shire Council areas) in Queensland, Australia were examined (Figure 1.2).

Figure 1.1: The Location of Queensland

Q u een sla n dW estern A u stra lia

N orth ern T errito ry

S o u th A u stra lia

V ictoria

T asm a n ia

N ew S o u th W a les

A u stra lia n C a p ita l

T errito ry

Source: Wikipedia, 2005

8

S

Figure 1.2: Local Tourism Destinations (Local Government Areas), Queensland

Source: Queensland State Government, Department of Local Government and Planning, 2004

Douglas

Thuringowa

Sarina

Redland

Gold Coast

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To examine the research issues and address the stated objectives, a two-fold qualitative

research process was developed (Chapter Five). Firstly, the planning practices of local

tourism destinations in Queensland were investigated utilising the most recent, publicly

available tourism specific planning documents of each of the 125 local tourism

destinations in Queensland (excluding the 32 Aboriginal Land Councils) (Figure 1.2).

This stage of the research aimed to examine the extent to which sustainable development

principles, including strategic planning and stakeholder participation, are incorporated

into local tourism destination planning practices. To assess this a tourism planning

process evaluation instrument developed by Simpson (2001) was used. Due to the focus

of this particular study additional evaluative criteria were added to the instrument from

the literature on sustainable development, strategic planning and stakeholder

collaboration. This stage of the research also provided the sampling framework for the

second phase of the study.

Building on the secondary data analysed in stage one, the second phase of the qualitative

research process investigated the perceptions of destination stakeholders who had

participated in the planning process for their destination. From the review of tourism

planning documents conducted in stage one five case study tourism destinations were

selected to sample respondents for the stakeholder interviews. These destinations were:

Douglas Shire, Gold Coast City; Redland Shire; Sarina Shire and Thuringowa City

(Figure 1.2). This stage of the research examined destination stakeholder’s perceptions

of the tourism planning process and their views on the incorporation of sustainable

development principles, strategic planning and stakeholder participation into the planning

process. This was considered an important aspect of the research as Faulkner (2003) has

noted that the establishment of a more strategically focused and sustainability oriented

model ultimately hinges on the degree to which leading players among the stakeholder

groups embrace it and champion the cause. This phase of the research also examined

destination stakeholder’s perceptions of strategic visioning and its applicability for local

tourism destination planning.

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1.4 Study Context

Tourism in Australia, although not large by world standards still makes a significant

contribution to the nation’s export receipts. There were 5.2 million visitor arrivals to

Australia during the year ended 30 September 2004, an increase of 11% relative to the

previous year (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2004). In the same period international

visitors consumed $16.7 billion worth of goods and services, representing 11% of total

exports, with forecasts predicting tourism export earnings for Australia to reach $27.9

billion by 2013 (Tourism Forecasting Council, 2004). While international tourism is a

major source of tourism revenue for the country, domestic tourism generates A$38 262

million and in 2001 Australians took 74 585 000 trips and spent 289 644 000 nights away

from home (Cooper & Ruhanen, 2005). Further the tourism industry employed 540, 700

people in Australia in 2002-03. Similarly tourism is a significant economic sector for the

state of Queensland. Queensland is more dependent on tourism for employment and

income generation than any other state in Australia, and tourism is Queensland’s largest

and fastest growing export (Hall, 2003). In Queensland more people are employed in

tourism than in agriculture, forestry, fishing and mining combined, with an estimated

10% of the workforce, or 135,000 people, working in tourism (Tourism Council of

Australia & Tourism Queensland, nd). These tourism growth projections highlight the

need for properly planned tourism growth and development and management of the

industry’s future, particularly given the fact that much of Australia and certainly

Queensland’s tourism product is based on environmental and cultural attractions, both of

which are highly susceptible to tourism’s negative impacts.

Sustainable tourism has emerged as a significant concept in tourism policy statements in

Australia (Hall, Jenkins & Kearsely, 1997). Hall (1998, p.21) notes that, “the principles

of sustainable development have become a highly contentious issue in Australian

politics…and controversy over tourism development indicate that the concept of

sustainable development may have direct application to the Australian tourism industry”.

In Australia, as with many other countries, the 1987 Brundtland report of the World

Commission of Environment and Development, and the United Nations Agenda 21,

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highlighted the detrimental impacts some forms of activity were having on the

environment. In response to this the Commonwealth government released the National

Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development in 1992, focused on implementing the

recommendations of the Brundtland commission and Agenda 21. The strategy aimed to

provide broad directions for government policy and decision making at the local, regional

and national level, while facilitating a coordinated and cooperative approach to

ecologically sustainable development (Commonwealth Government, Department of

Environment and Heritage, 2005).

In terms of governmental structures for tourism; tourism is not explicitly mentioned in

the Australian Constitution, so the legal responsibility for tourism has developed under

the division of powers for those areas which impinge on the tourism industry, including

quarantine, aviation, customs and excise, corporations and international trade (Hall, 2003;

Ruhanen, 2005). Tourism in Australia is predominantly market driven and unlike other

sectors, the federal government has not tried an interventionist approach towards tourism.

Basu (2003) notes that the Commonwealth government is more directly involved in

marketing rather than monitoring the growth of the industry, with facilitation and

coordination of tourism occurring through its agency ‘Tourism Australia’. However in

2003 the Commonwealth released a tourism white paper, ‘A Medium to Long Term

Strategy for Tourism’, a considerable undertaking and the first of its kind in Australia

with consultations at approximately 50 locations around the country, two discussion

papers accessed by 132,000 people and some 425 written submissions over a two year

period. The white paper committed $235 million in new public investment increasing

total direct expenditure on tourism to over $600 million, with the goal of positioning

Australia as a world leader in the provision of tourism goods and services

(Commonwealth Government, Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources, 2005).

Although the Commonwealth’s direct powers for tourism under the Constitution are

slightly abstract, the States do have considerable responsibility for many facets of

tourism. The States and Territories are primarily responsible for infrastructure and

facility development, planning and regulation and as with the Commonwealth

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government, promotion and marketing both internationally and domestically. The State

tourism authorities also fund regional tourism organizations (RTOs), which are

responsible for regional marketing and promotion and assist in developing and managing

tourism at a regional level (Appendix One). Within each tourism region, local tourism

authorities (LTAs) market visitor services and attractions for their specific local area,

which are generally based around Shire Council government boundaries, and in turn

receive funding from their respective Shire Councils and industry members. The

Australian public sector tourism system is presented in Table 1.1, using the Queensland

public sector tourism structure as an example of the RTO and LTA network.

Table 1.1: Public Sector Tourism Structure

Government Structure

Public Sector Tourism Structure

Queensland Public Sector Tourism Structure

Commonwealth Government

Tourism Australia -

State and Territory Governments

State Tourism Authorities

Tourism Queensland

-

Regional Tourism Organisations

(Appendix One)

Brisbane Marketing Bundaberg Region Ltd

Capricorn Tourism Fraser Coast South Burnett RTB

Gladstone Area Promotion & Development Gold Coast Tourism Bureau

Mackay Tourism Ltd Outback Queensland Tourism Authority

Southern Downs Tourist Association Toowoomba & Golden West RTA

Tourism Sunshine Coast Tourism Tropical North Queensland

Tourism Whitsundays Townsville Enterprise

Shire Council Areas

Local Tourism Associations

(Appendix Two)

Each of the 125 Shire Council areas in Queensland generally has at least one LTA.

This myriad of government involvement in tourism, as can be expected, causes

considerable overlap of aims, objectives and responsibilities, and has resulted in a

somewhat uncoordinated approach to tourism development, management and planning in

Australia. At each level of government, Commonwealth, State and Territory, regional

and local, there has been a tendency and an inherent organisational mandate to focus on

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promotion and product development, usually in that order. It has been noted that a

preoccupation with marketing in Australia, at the expense of research, strategic planning

and other activities has been to the detriment of a more balanced and rational approach to

the development of the tourism industry (Faulkner, 2003). Hall (2003, p.200-201)

provides an interesting commentary that illustrates the overemphasis on tourism

marketing in Australia. He writes that,

“The transfer of funds from policy, planning and research to the

promotional functions of state government agencies led the then Director

of the Bureau of Tourism Research, Dr Bill Faulkner, to comment publicly

on the emergence of ‘advertising fundamentalism’, whereby research

programs were being downgraded to spend more money on advertising.

As Faulkner commented: it is unlikely that research into, for instance, the

environmental and social impacts of tourism would be carried out under

the market forces regime, even though the problems in these areas could

eventually render the tourism product of particular regions unsaleable.

That Dr Faulkner hit a raw nerve with his comments was indicated by the

reply of the New South Wales Minister of Tourism… who stated that: to

accuse the commission of ‘advertising fundamentalism’ merely highlights

deficiencies in Mr Faulkner’s own research into this subject. Over a

decade later such a debate remains very relevant, and the minister’s

comments reflect a deep division as to the role and character of

government involvement in tourism in Australia and as to the future nature

of tourism development. More often than not, success in tourism in

Australia is measured in terms of numbers of visitors and their expenditure

rather than the net benefits to be gained from tourist visitation and

associated tourism development”.

It would not be unrealistic to suggest that little has changed in what could effectively be

called a ‘marketing vs. management’ mentality in Australia. However it is increasingly

being noted in public sector tourism organizations that there is a need for planning to gain

the maximum return on assets and investments, as well as minimising the negative

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impacts of tourism activity. This can be seen with Tourism Queensland recently

changing the description of their core activities from destination marketing to destination

management, although the realities of this shift in emphasis are still to be proven.

Similarly, although Hall et al (1997) have claimed that the concept of sustainability has

had a substantial impact on planning ideas and philosophies in Australia, the actual

change in approach is still somewhat questionable and as such was addressed in this

study.

The above discussion has briefly highlighted some of the complexities of tourism

management and planning in Australia generally. However due to the focus of this study

it is necessary to look more closely at tourism planning and management at the local

level, or Shire Council area, bearing in mind the issues discussed previously. Local

government has a critical role to play in tourism development and increasingly this role is

extending beyond the traditional duties of funding their LTA (Richins & Pearce, 2000).

Local government is closest to many of the problems associated with tourism

development and to the demands of residents (Aronsson, 2000), and as such Hall (2003)

considers local government best suited to coordinate tourism development at the local

level. However Hall (2003) does go on to note that the role of local government in

tourism has tended to be neglected by State and Commonwealth governments and at

times by the tourism industry. This can be attributed in part to the fact that local

government does not derive its power from the Commonwealth Constitution but from its

relevant State government constitution. Despite this local government still has

considerable influence over tourism within its constitutional responsibilities of land-use

planning, development applications for tourism-related land uses, and provision of local

infrastructure and public amenities.

Despite the inherent difficulties local authorities have been called upon to play a greater

role in the planning and management of tourism within their area. A Tourism Council of

Australia and Tourism Queensland (nd) report notes that, although most local

government authorities have formulated statements applying to tourism, these are found

in a variety of guises such as meeting minutes and other planning documents which act,

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by proxy, as partial guidelines for the development of tourism. The report states that

local government must have clear goals and policies for tourism and should adopt a

specific policy document for tourism. A number of reasons for this are cited: councillors

may be replaced every four years but a policy document can ensure continuity of

commitment to tourism; forward planning and budget allocations for tourism are essential

for the integrated and coordinated approach needed for sustained business growth and

operation; industry sector representation in an area may change, thus altering emphasis

and thrust; and a policy document ensures that industry, local and regional tourism

organisations, state government agencies and the local council work together to benefit

the community (Tourism Council of Australia & Tourism Queensland, nd). Other key

issues highlighted in the report include; the fact that residents will be far more inclined to

support the development of tourism if they are given the opportunity to voice their

opinions, concerns and aspirations, and that to be successful in achieving balanced

development of tourism in any locality or region, there must be substantial local

government input and involvement. It is also noted that the tourism development plan

should be a strategic document, giving the direction and focus stakeholders need as a

basis for decision-making.

The 1997 Queensland Integrated Planning Act (IPA) also impacts upon tourism planning

at the local destination level in Queensland. The purpose of the IPA is to balance

community well being, economic development and the protection of the natural

environment by providing a framework for managing growth and change within the State

(Table 1.2). Although the IPA does not explicitly address tourism, the planning scheme

outlines the development outcomes sought for the local government area as a whole:

allocates land for different uses; indicates the location and nature of major infrastructure;

and, identifies areas or places that constrain the use of land due to their environmental

value or their adverse effects on development (Queensland State Government, 2004).

Further, community consultation is encouraged under the IPA and is considered by the

Local Government Association of Queensland (2003) as an essential part of local

government decision-making processes.

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Table 1.2: Queensland Integrated Planning Act- Ecological Sustainability Principles

Protection of ecological process and natural systems 1. Air quality 2. Nature conservation 3. Land maintenance 4. Water quality

Economic development 5. Economic activity 6. Resource availability 7. Energy efficiency 8. Resource usage 9. Affordability

Maintenance of community well-being 10. Community needs 11. Infrastructure efficiency 12. Public safety 13. Heritage conservation 14. Public spaces 15. Amenity 16. Community harmony

Source: Queensland Government, Department of Communication and Information, Local

Government, Planning and Sport (2000)

1.5 Thesis Structure

The remaining chapters of this thesis build upon the issues briefly introduced in this

chapter. Chapters Two, Three and Four outline the literature review conducted for the

study. Figure 1.3 diagrammatically represents the key literature themes of the thesis,

with the sustainable development philosophy perceived as underpinning the concepts of

strategic planning and stakeholder collaboration in tourism planning which collectively

provide the foundation for the concept of strategic visioning.

Chapter Two introduces the underpinning philosophy of this thesis, the concept of

sustainable development. The application of the concept to the tourism destination

context is examined, and the key definitions and issues are addressed. The caveats to the

sustainable tourism planning approach: a strategic orientation towards tourism planning

and enhanced levels of multiple stakeholder participation in the tourism planning process

17

(Simpson, 2001), are introduced. The current state of the sustainability debate is also

considered including the identified need to move the sustainability concept towards

practice.

Figure 1.3: Thesis Literature Themes

Sustainable Development (Chapter Two)

Strategic Planning (Chapter Three) Stakeholder Participation (Chapter Three)

Strategic Visioning (Chapter Four)

Chapter Three further explores the two identified caveats to the sustainable approach to

tourism planning. Firstly the need for strategic tourism planning is addressed, including

an examination of the evolution of tourism planning approaches and the strategic

planning concept as it has been applied in the organizational context. The second caveat,

stakeholder participation and collaboration in planning is addressed including an

overview of the evolution of public participation in planning and the extension of this

concept to tourism. The key stakeholders in tourism destination planning are examined

in addition to the more recent calls to move beyond participation and engage in multiple

stakeholder collaboration and cooperation.

Chapter Four looks at the strategic visioning concept. Beginning with a discussion of the

organizational applications of vision and the extension of this concept by Senge (1990) to

the notion of shared vision and learning organizations, the use of vision in the community

context is also examined. Finally the use of strategic visioning as a tourism destination

planning tool is considered, as is the more recent view that visioning can contribute

towards the achievement of sustainability.

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Figure 1.4: Thesis Structure

Chapter Five outlines the research methodology employed for the study including the

researcher’s constructivist theoretical perspective, which in turn dictated the ontology,

epistemology and methodology underpinning the study. The two-phase qualitative

research process is also outlined. The first stage of the research found that 30

destinations had a tourism plan and these were assessed utilising content analysis and

underpinned by the use of a tourism planning process evaluation instrument developed by

Chapter One Introduction

Chapter Two Sustainable Tourism

Chapter Three Strategic Planning &

Stakeholder Participation

Chapter Four Strategic Visioning

Chapter Six Objective One Results

Chapter Five Methodology

Chapter Seven Objective Two & Three

Chapter Eight Discussion

Chapter Nine Conclusion

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Simpson (2001). The second stage of the research involved in-depth, semi-structured

interviews with 31 destination stakeholders in five local tourism destination case study

areas in Queensland. Case study destinations selection was based on the outcomes of

stage one of the research. This stage examined destination stakeholders’ perceptions of

the local tourism planning process and the extent to which the principles of sustainable

development, strategic planning and stakeholder collaboration underpin the process, as

well as stakeholder perceptions of strategic visioning as a planning model.

Chapter Six addresses the results of the first objective of the study. The overall results of

the planning document analysis are presented to illustrate how local tourism destinations

in Queensland met with the criteria of the tourism planning process evaluation

instrument. The individual analysis of each of the local tourism plans is also detailed to

demonstrate the extent to which they match the evaluative criteria of the instrument.

From the individual analysis, each of the plans are quantitatively weighted and ranked in

terms of their compliance with the tourism planning criteria, to allow for the selection of

case study destinations as per the second objective of the study. Importance-performance

analyses are also presented for both destinations that did have a tourism planning

document and those that did not, to assess any correlation between the importance of

tourism to the destination and undertaking local level tourism destination planning.

Chapter Seven provides the results of the second and third research objectives of the

study. This chapter presents the results and analysis of the 31 interviews conducted with

stakeholders from the five case study destinations regarding their perceptions of the local

tourism planning process and the extent to which the principles of sustainable

development, strategic planning and stakeholder collaboration are incorporated.

Additionally the interview results regarding stakeholder perceptions of strategic visioning

as an alternative planning practice are discussed, with more detailed results presented for

the two destinations which have previously undertaken a strategic visioning process

(Redland Shire and Gold Coast City).

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Chapter Eight draws together the findings of the two results chapters. In addressing the

research objectives it was found that sustainability is not the underlying approach to local

tourism destinations in Queensland as evidenced by an over emphasis on economic

concerns, short-term planning horizons and the exclusion of key stakeholder groups from

the process. To address these issues a conceptual framework of the strategic visioning

approach to tourism planning is proposed as a possible means for ensuring sustainability

philosophies including strategic planning and stakeholder participation, are incorporated

into the local tourism planning process. The applicability of the framework, identified in

both the literature and confirmed by stakeholder respondents was considered in light of

the challenges identified in the research of incorporating sustainability principles into a

local tourism planning process.

Chapter Nine provides a concluding overview of the study, and demonstrates the

significance of the research and the contribution to the body of knowledge. In addition

the contribution of the study to local level tourism planning practice is discussed, with

implications for further research suggested, particularly the testing and refinement of the

proposed strategic visioning framework.

1.6 Chapter One Summary

This chapter has introduced the key concepts and issues associated with this study. The

concept of sustainable tourism planning is seen as a means of maximising the positive

and minimising the negative impacts of tourism activity on destination communities.

Despite the merits of such an approach, some authors have questioned whether the

doctrine is actually being put into practice, alluding to preoccupations with economic

returns at the expense of environmental and social issues. Additionally other authors

have cited a dearth of practical planning models for integrating sustainability theory

concepts into practice. It is this theory and practice gap that this study has addressed

through three research objectives and a two-phase qualitative research method.

21

While any number of contexts could have been utilised to examine the research issue,

local tourism destinations in Queensland, Australia were selected as the research sample

for this study. Like many countries tourism is an important economic activity in

Queensland. Further the local tourism destination level is recognised as the most

susceptible to the negative impacts of tourism and has therefore been purported as an

appropriate level to utilise sustainable planning approaches. Chapter Two introduces the

sustainable development concept and its application to tourism destination planning.

22

Chapter Two

Sustainable Tourism Development: The Underpinning Concept

2.0 Introduction

The concept of sustainable development, although not specifically targeted at tourism

development, has undoubtedly had a considerable impact on the tourism sector.

Sustainable development aims to ensure the provision of lasting and secure livelihoods,

which minimise resource depletion, environmental degradation, cultural disruption and

social instability (Hall, 1998). The notion of sustainable tourism development has arisen

as a possible solution to the environmental and social degradation of the industry’s

resources and due to the fact that tourism is a resource industry which is dependent on

nature’s endowment and society’s heritage (Murphy, 1994). Although there is

considerable polarization in viewpoints and definitions of sustainable tourism, it is

recognised that achieving sustainability in a tourism context requires: a strategic

orientation towards tourism planning and enhanced levels of multiple stakeholder

participation in the tourism planning process (Simpson, 2001).

This chapter introduces the underpinning philosophy of the thesis, the concept of

sustainable development. The evolution of sustainability and its application to tourism

development is examined, as are some of the key definitions, principles and issues

associated with the notion of sustainable tourism development. The two acknowledged

caveats of a sustainable approach: strategic planning and stakeholder participation are

also introduced, before considering the state of the sustainability debate. Finally the need

to move the sustainability concept from theory to practice is discussed.

2.1 The Sustainable Development Concept

The term sustainable development first arose in the 1980 World Conservation Strategy

(International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources), although some

claim that the concept goes back much further (Butler, 1998; Conway, 1998; Malthus,

23

1986; Rohe 1997). For much of the post-war period, the desire and push for change and

economic development was unchallenged (Bramwell & Lane, 1993), and it was not until

the 1970s that concerns emerged over the exploitation of the natural environment and the

links between environment and development (Buhalis & Fletcher, 1995; Dalal-Clayton &

Bass, 2002). The failure of economic development growth models to take into account

the ecological consequences of economic expansion (Hardy & Beeton, 2001) saw

sustainable development emerge as a means and/or philosophy to rectify the past and

alter current industrial behavior by shifting the focus from the achievement of short-term

economic growth goals at the expense of environmental and social concerns.

The concept is credited as gaining international momentum and recognition following the

1987 World Commission on Environment and Development (WECD), known as the

Brundtland commission. Although widely criticized in the intervening years (MacLellan,

1997; Mowforth & Munt, 1998) the WCED (1987, p.43) first coined the often-quoted

definition, that sustainable development is “development that meets the needs of the

present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

The commission also developed the first of the many principles of sustainability

including: a need for holistic planning and strategy making; the importance of preserving

essential ecological processes; the need to protect both human heritage and biodiversity;

development to occur in such a way that productivity can be sustained over the long-term

for future generations; and the need for a better balance of fairness and opportunity

between nations (Bramwell & Lane, 1993; Dalal-Clayton & Bass, 2002; Hall, 1998;

Murphy, 1994; Swarbrooke, 1998). The Brundtland report received almost universal

acceptance by governments, industry and the public, and has since spawned a vast array

of refinements, applications and policies (MacLellan, 1997; United Nations, 2003).

The sustainable development discussion was further conceptualized in 1992 by the

United Nations with Local Agenda 21 (LA21), a plan of global, national and local action

for every area in which humans impact on the environment. Reaffirmed at the World

Summit on Sustainable Development held in 2002 (United Nations, 2003), LA21

highlighted that the transformation to a more sustainable world is linked to a visionary

24

political leadership, supportive administrations, networks of experience sharing, alliances

with non-governmental organisations and local industry, and effective community

mobilisation (Voisey, Beuermann, Sverdrup & O'Riordan, 1996). One of the key

principles of LA21 is that sustainability can only be achieved through planned,

democratic, cooperative means, including community involvement in decisions about the

environment and development (Jackson & Morpeth, 1999; Ritchie & Jay, 1999).

2.1.1 A Contentious Philosophy

Sustainable development, having been on the global agenda in some form for over two

decades is, broadly speaking, an accepted concept (Baker, 2006; Brown, 1995; Dalal-

Clayton & Bass, 2002; Mawhinney, 2002; Rao, 2000; Reid, 1995; Sofield, 2003; United

Nations, 1998). Support for the concept has been attributed to the appealing semantics of

the term, which offers the attractive, although somewhat contradictory, possibility of

continuing economic development that does not unduly strain the earth’s environmental,

socio-cultural or economic carrying capacities (Aronsson, 2000; Weaver & Lawton,

1999). Sustainable development implies built environments become more liveable

through the substantial re-use of existing manmade and natural resources, ecosystems

become healthier, economic development becomes more responsive to the needs of place

rather than furthering the profits of a powerful few, and the benefits of improved

environmental and economic conditions become more equitably distributed (Barke &

Towner, 2003; Berke, 2002). Farrell (1999) refers to the ‘sustainability trinity’, of equal

consideration to the economy, society and the environment, which has been described as

an ethical requirement for social responsibility for present and future generations (Berke,

2002; Dutton & Hall, 1989; Ireland, 1997).

The sustainability concept received bureaucratic and business support because it did not

reject economic growth, but actually suggested that economic growth could enhance

environmental protection through a free market (Hardy & Beeton, 2001). As Bramwell

and Lane (1993, p.1) observe, “sustainability brought the cautious but sometimes

negative thinking of the conservationist together with the positive but sometimes heedless

25

world of the developer”. The international acceptance of sustainable development can

also be credited to its emergence at a time when scientific, economic and environmental

problems were converging, fuelled by a rapidly growing conservation movement

(Beaumont, Pederson & Whitaker, 1993; Hardy & Beeton, 2001; Harris & Leiper, 1995;

McKercher, 1993).

Despite the general acceptance of the underlying philosophy, definitional debates have,

and continue to, dominate discussion of the sustainable development concept (Barbier

1987; Steer & Wade-Gery, 1993). Some have claimed that the concept of sustainable

development is ambiguous, and some have even described it as an oxymoron (Hempel,

1999; O’Riordan, 1978). Much of the criticism levelled at the broader concept of

sustainable development is reflected in the sustainable tourism development literature.

2.2 The Sustainable Tourism Development Concept

Chapter One highlighted the considerable size and importance of the tourism industry to

the world’s economy and due to its magnitude, tourism’s potential to contribute to

sustainable development is considered to be substantial (Hunter, 1997). Despite this

tourism was not specifically addressed in LA21. However tourism’s global economic

importance and significant use of natural resources saw the World Tourism Organization

(WTO) introduce an action plan for sustainable tourism development- ‘Agenda 21 for the

Travel and Tourism Industry’ (Wall, 1997). In 1999 the WTO further developed a global

code of ethics for the responsible and sustainable development of international tourism

which included nine articles outlining the basic rules for governments, tour operators,

developers, travel agents, workers, as well as communities and the tourists themselves

(Neto, 2003; WTO, 2001). Within this context it was observed that tourism can

effectively contribute to sustainable development when:

“…it operates within natural capacities for the regeneration and future

productivity of natural resources; recognises the contribution that people

and communities, customs and lifestyles, make to the tourism experience;

accepts that these people must have an equitable share in the economic

26

benefits of tourism; and is guided by the wishes of local people and

communities in the host areas” (Eber, 1992, p.7).

The application of sustainable development ideologies to the tourism sector, while

certainly influenced by the broader sustainability debate, also evolved alongside the

increasing dissatisfaction with the negative environmental and social impacts of tourism

activity (Figure 2.1). The notion of ‘sustainable tourism’ arose in recognition of the

inherent tensions and frictions created by the interactions between the tourism industry,

visitors, the environment and the host communities. Described as a ‘tourism centric’

view (Hunter, 1995), sustainable tourism advocates the management of all resources

upon which tourism depends in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can

be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological

diversity and life support systems (Murphy, 1994). Butler (1998, p.27) notes, “the term

‘sustainable tourism’, rightly or wrongly has become widely accepted as meaning tourism

that is developed and operated in such a manner as to follow these principles”.

Figure 2.1: The Evolution of the Sustainable Tourism Concept

1960 1970 1980 1990

Source: Adapted from Swarbrooke, 1998

Sustainable tourism is intended to be a positive and proactive approach to tourism

development, attempting to ensure the long-term viability and quality of both natural and

Recognition of the potential impacts of the boom in mass tourism

Growth in the concept of visitor management

The birth of the concept of green

tourism

Growth of the concept of sustainable tourism

Recognition of the importance of community

participation

27

human resources (Bramwell & Lane, 1993; Hughes, 1995; Sharpley, 2000; Swarbrooke,

1998). Unlike sustainable development which is underpinned by the concept of

development, sustainable tourism has changed its focus from the traditional notions of

environmental ethics, quality of life and cultural integrity with growth and progress, to

include business viability and customer satisfaction (Hardy & Beeton, 2001; Muller,

1994; Prosser, 1994). Here sustainable tourism can be considered a means of alleviating

the economic deterioration arising from poorly planned and managed tourism

development in an attempt to maintain, in perpetuity, the characteristics that make it a

desirable place for residents to live and tourists to visit (De Lacy, Battig, Moore &

Noakes, 2002; Manning & Dougherty, 2000).

2.2.1 Defining Sustainable Tourism

While sustainable tourism has attracted a high level of support at the conceptual level

(MacLellan, 1997), there is little agreement in defining the concept. This can no doubt be

attributed to the fact that sustainable tourism has been described as ambiguous, vague,

parochial, sectorial, a cliché, a mythical concept, and a ‘lion’s den’ of semantics (Butler,

1993; Hunter, 1995; McKercher, 1993; Mowforth & Munt, 1998; Muller, 1994; Orams,

1995; Robinson, 1999; Swarbrooke, 1998). Different perceptions and interpretations of

sustainable development principles and their application to the tourism sector have also

played an important role in the way in which sustainable tourism has been defined within

the literature, hence numerous authors have offered definitions (Archer, Cooper &

Ruhanen, 2004; Bramwell & Lane, 1993; Buckley, 1996; Cater & Goodall, 1992; Cronin,

1990; Hardy & Beeton, 2001; Harris & Leiper, 1995; House, 1997; Inskeep, 1991;

Swarbrooke, 1998). This has stemmed criticisms that academics have been inwardly

focused on defining and debating the concept which has confused researchers, visitors,

residents, businesses and governments alike, and not contributed in any meaningful way

to considerations of how the concept might be put into practice (Berry & Ladkin, 1997;

Orams, 1995; Swarbrooke, 1998). Garrod and Fyall (1998, p.200) argue that, “unless

these definitions can be translated into something that is meaningful in practice, they

28

remain at best academic curios, at worst a threat to the achievement of genuinely

sustainable tourism”.

The most commonly cited definition, and the one used to guide this research is the WTO

(1998, p.19) definition that sustainable tourism development,

“…meets the needs of present tourists and host regions while protecting

and enhancing opportunities for the future. It is envisaged as leading to

the management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and

aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity,

essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support

systems”.

To move beyond the search for a unitary and precise definition Bramwell (2004) calls for

a need to view sustainable tourism development as a social and political construct and as

a terrain of discourses. It can be seen as similar to concepts such as democracy, liberty

and social justice where there is a readily understood ‘first-level of meaning’, but around

them lie a number of fundamental contestations. While there is debate over the concept’s

definition, there is more agreement regarding the principles of sustainable tourism.

2.2.2 Underpinning Principles

Sustainable tourism has come to represent and encompass a set of principles, policy

prescriptions, and management methods, which chart a path for tourism development

such that a destination’s environmental resource base (including natural, built, social and

cultural features) is protected for future development (Welford & Ytterhus, 2004).

Sustainability is often referred to in terms of the metaphorical ‘triple bottom line’,

referring to the consideration of economic, social and environmental goals and outputs.

In this respect the WTO (1993, p.11) considers that tourism is sustainable when it

“improves the quality of life of the host community; provides a high quality of

experience for the visitor; and maintains the quality of the environment on which both

the host community and the visitor depend”.

29

The United Nations (2003) propose a set of 18 core principles for sustainability

(Appendix Three) including broad based stakeholder participation and control, equitable

distribution of benefits, a long term planning horizon, and acceptable scale of

development. These principles are set as overarching goals and objectives of the tourism

sector, that is, practices destinations should aim to achieve to meet the principles of

sustainable tourism development. It is generally acknowledged that, in conjunction with

such broad principles, there are a number of implications or basic elements critical to the

sustainable tourism development agenda. Bramwell and Lane (1993) note that there is a

need for holistic planning and strategy formulation, preservation of ecological processes,

protection of human heritage and biodiversity, and sustained productivity over the long

term to benefit future generations. Ritchie (1999) also identifies several planning related

aspects necessary for sustainable tourism development including the need for a long-term

planning horizon; an integrated and cumulative perspective of environmental, social and

economic impacts, integrating tourism planning and development in the broader social,

economic and environmental planning agenda of the destination and ensuring an

approach to tourism planning and development that reflects the broader trends and

expectations with regard to the level of community consultation involved. These

implications reflect the requirement that strategic planning and stakeholder participation

are fundamental in achieving, or attempting to achieve sustainable tourism. As such,

these concepts are briefly introduced here and discussed in further detail in Chapter

Three.

2.2.2.1 Strategic Planning for Sustainable Tourism

The WTO (1983, p.10) have claimed “the absence of planning and failure by the public

sector to assume responsibilities…has been responsible for most of the negative results of

tourism development”. As such strategic tourism planning is considered imperative to

ensure that a destination’s resources are managed and sustained for the future and the

different interests such as environmental, financial, community and tourist satisfaction

are addressed (Hall 2000; Hardy & Beeton, 2001). Wahab and Pigram (1997) claim it

requires a broad vision, which encompasses a larger time, and space frame than what

30

would be traditionally required in normal tourism planning and decision-making. Cooper

(1995) concurs noting that there is a clear synergy between the adoption of sustainable

tourism principles and the disciplined, longer-term perspective provided by the strategic

planning of both destinations and markets. Strategy in the case of sustainable tourism

planning and development seeks to achieve three basic strategic objectives: conservation

of tourism resource values; enhanced experiences of the visitors who interact with

tourism resources; and the maximisation of the economic, social and environmental

returns to stakeholders in the host community (Dutton & Hall, 1989; Hall, 2000).

Sustainable tourism offers the means for a more holistic framework for planning, policy

and development than has previously been the case, while ensuring that tourism’s

benefits are equitably distributed between all stakeholders (Harrison & Husbands, 1996;

Page & Thorn, 2002; Wall, 1997). It requires a “social process through which ways of

thinking, ways of valuing and ways of acting are actively constructed by participants”

(Healey, 1997, p.29). As a result sustainable tourism planning is seen as a multiple

stakeholder process in which individual interests are brought together in order to decide

over the ‘tourism commons’ such as facilities for the tourists and the local population

(Briassoulis, 2002). As defined by the WTO (2004, p.7):

“Sustainable tourism development requires the informed participation of

all relevant stakeholders, as well as strong political leadership to ensure

wide participation and consensus building. Achieving sustainable tourism

is a continuous process and it requires constant monitoring of impacts,

introducing the necessary preventive and/or corrective measures whenever

necessary. Sustainable tourism should also maintain a high level of tourist

satisfaction and ensure a meaningful experience to the tourists, raising

their awareness about sustainability issues and promoting sustainable

tourism practices amongst them”.

31

2.2.2.2 Stakeholder Participation for Sustainable Tourism

Amongst the literature on sustainable tourism there is widespread agreement that broad

based and multiple stakeholder participation, particularly that of the local community, in

the tourism planning process is essential (Berke, 2002; Bramwell & Sharman, 1999;

Caffyn & Jobbins, 2003; Eligh, Welford & Ytterhus, 2002; Gee & Fayos-Sola, 1997;

Hardy & Beeton, 2001; Holland, 2000; Lankford & Lankford, 2000; Marien & Pizam,

1997; Murphy, 1988; Pforr, 2001; Richards & Hall, 2000; Robinson, 1999; Sadler, 2004;

Swarbrooke, 1998). As Singh (2003) notes, no form of tourism development, however

ingeniously conceived, can foster sustainability if it fails to respect the needs and

aspirations of the local people. Therefore, the achievement of sustainable development

objectives is considered to hinge on the adoption of a participatory model, involving the

meaningful engagement of the community, along with industry stakeholders and relevant

government agencies (Faulkner, 2003). The interaction amongst the stakeholders of a

tourism destination, can also be described in terms of collaboration or synergies (Aas,

Ladkin & Fletcher, 2005; Bramwell & Sharman, 1999; Buhalis & Cooper, 1998; Laws,

Scott & Parfitt, 2002; Reed, 1999), that is:

“A process of joint decision-making among autonomous, key stakeholders

of an inter-organizational, community tourism domain to resolve planning

problems of the domain and/or to manage issues related to the planning and

development of the domain” (Jamal & Getz 1995, p.188).

Sustainability has been viewed as an overarching framework which can dramatically shift

the practice of local participation from dominance by narrow special interests towards a

more holistic, inclusive and empowered view (Berke, 2002; Sadler, 2004). It is also

credited with promoting the consideration of the economic, environmental and social

impacts of tourism (Bramwell & Sharman, 1999; Murphy, 1988; Pforr, 2001) and can

facilitate a common sense of ownership and direction for the myriad of stakeholders,

while at the same time sharpening the guiding objectives of the destination (Cooper,

1997). These issues will be further explored in Chapter Three.

32

2.3 The State of the Sustainability Debate

The lack of a widely accepted definition has caused some confusion over what

sustainable tourism actually means (Berry & Ladkin, 1997; Swarbrooke, 1998), and the

differing viewpoints on the concept have led many to question the validity of achieving

sustainability. Hunter (1997) notes that however attractive the notion of sustainable

tourism is as a balanced development option, difficult questions remain to be addressed:

How the concept can be achieved? How is it determined when sustainability has been

achieved? What does protecting the resource base mean? What are the needs of future

generations? (Beckerman, 1992; Hunter, 1997; Lele, 1991; Liu, 2003; McMinn, 1997;

Sofield, 2003; Stabler, 1997; Swarbrooke, 1998). The difficulty and inherent

subjectiveness in these questions has seen some claim that it is an intellectually appealing

concept with little practical application (Wheeler, 1993); or that completely sustainable

tourism is most likely a myth, as development requires environmental and social sacrifice

to some degree and therefore we can only hope to make tourism more sustainable than it

was before (Aronsson, 2000; Basu, 2003; Butler, 1998; Goodall & Stabler, 1997;

Swarbrooke, 1998).

2.3.1 Sustaining Tourism or Sustainable Tourism?

Some have seen sustainable tourism as a panacea for the ‘evils’ of mass tourism activity.

It has been suggested that sustainable tourism requires the replacement of mass tourism

activity with small-scale developments and enterprise (Clarke, 1997; Liu, 2003; Simpson

& Roberts, 2000), spawning the notions of alternative, appropriate, responsible, green,

nature, community-based, rural, or soft tourism, often incorporated within the banner of

‘ecotourism’ (Blank, 1989; Boo, 1990; Fennell & Eagles, 1990; Haywood, 1988;

Holland, 2000; Kariel, 1989; Krippendorf, 1987; Lane, 1989; Murphy, 1985; Pezzey,

1989; Singh, Theuns & Go, 1989). The notion of ecotourism is viewed by many as a

beneficial by-product of the sustainability agenda due to the idea that ecologically fragile

areas can be protected with the financial returns of ecotourism activities (Diamantis &

Ladkin, 1999; Neto, 2003; Wight, 2003).

33

Although a widely acknowledged concept (Blamey, 2001; Boo, 1990; Campbell, 1999;

Cater & Lowman, 1994; Ceballos-Lascurain, 1996; Fennell, 1999; Honey, 1999;

Lindberg, Wood & Engeldrum, 1999; Weaver, 1998), the notion that ecotourism is

synonymous with sustainable tourism has received considerable criticism. Wall (1997,

p.46) notes that,

“The interchangeable use of the terms ecotourism and sustainable

tourism…displays an inadequate understanding of both terms for, clearly,

not all forms of ecotourism are sustainable and not all sustainable tourism

needs to be in natural areas”.

The idea also shows a divergence from sustainable development theory, which is based

on the substantial re-use of existing manmade and natural resources (Barke & Towner,

2003). Concern has also been expressed that such activities are actually more harmful

than conventional ‘mass’ tourism as the average ecotourist is more demanding

environmentally than the mass tourist who may not need to visit remote locations, and

whose needs and wastes can be more readily planned for and managed in large numbers

incorporating economies of scale (Butler, 1993; Fyall & Garrod, 1997; Harris & Leiper,

1995; Kirstges, 2003; Lück, 2003; Simpson & Roberts, 2000; Wall, 1997). It is also

widely claimed that ecotourism is simply a profit-driven, marketing gimmick to attract

new visitor segments and give green credentials and moral rectitude to tourist activities

(Butler, 1998; Croy & Hogh, 2003; Dewhurst & Thomas, 2003; Diamantis & Ladkin,

1999; Hardy & Beeton, 2001; Harris & Leiper, 1995; Hunter, 1995; McKercher, 1993;

Mowforth & Munt, 1998; Muller, 1994; Neto, 2003; Swarbrooke, 1998; Wheeler, 1997).

Therefore Swarbrooke (1998) cites a need for more critical evaluations of existing

thinking and techniques in the area of sustainable tourism, and believes that there are too

many ‘sacred cows’ that are not being challenged, such as the assertion that small-scale

tourism is inherently more sustainable than mass tourism, regardless of the environment

in which it takes place.

Sustainable tourism calls for adherence to the broader sustainability concept in all types

of tourism activities, by all segments of the tourism industry and by all scales of tourism

(Butcher, 1997; Clarke, 1997; Diamantis & Ladkin, 1999; Farrell & Twining-Ward,

34

2005; Husbands & Harrison, 1996; Inskeep, 1991; Neto, 2003; WTO, 1995). The

challenge, however is that as a goal it sounds both right and viable, but that as an

objective, it may not be so easily attained (McMinn, 1997; Slee, Farr & Snowdon, 1997),

particularly in the context of a capitalist society (Aronsson, 2000; Singh, 2003).

However it should not be conceived in terms of a device by which to measure the

appropriateness of a particular tourism activity, nor should it be used as a means to

legitimise the use of newly discovered tracts of the world, but rather as a philosophical

base and idealised global target to which all forms of tourism must aspire (Godfrey,

1996; McMinn, 1997).

2.3.2 The Policy and Practice Response

Sustainability issues have become a key driver of the social and political agendas in many

countries (Berke, 2002; Jayawardena, 2003), and initiatives such as LA21 are considered

to be the primary framework for establishing tourism development plans around the globe

(Harrison, Jayawardena & Clayton, 2003). The public sector has assumed much of the

responsibility for leading the move towards developing more sustainable forms of

tourism, and Hunter (1997) notes that it is difficult to imagine the formulation and

implementation of any approach to sustainable tourism in the absence of strong local

authority planning and development control. This is due to the fact that the public sector

usually has a mandate to represent the whole population, not just particular interest

groups or stakeholders; it has the requisite legislative framework for action; it is seen to

be impartial without commercial interests; and because it is not constrained by short term

financial objectives it should be able to take a longer term view (Sinclair & Jayawardena,

2003; Swarbrooke, 1998). Despite this, it has been noted that the application of

sustainability will depend on the government’s values and ideologies (Godfrey, 1998;

Hall, 1998; Liu, 2003; Hardy & Beeton, 2001; McMinn, 1997; Weaver, 2006).

A number of authors have documented the growth in sustainability policy statements,

strategies, guidelines and initiatives from national, regional and local governments,

tourism organizations, businesses and local communities (Augustyn, 1998; Bramwell,

35

2004; Bramwell & Lane, 1993; Hardy & Beeton, 2001; Jepson, 2004). Cooper (1997)

also claims government are integrating sustainability principles into policy as evidenced

by a changing perspective from the short (1 to 5 year planning horizons) to long term (10

to 20 year planning horizons), which in turn has seen the adoption of a strategic approach

to both markets and destination planning and management.

However government at all levels has received criticism for hijacking, and even abusing

the sustainable term, to legitimise tourism development, achieve self-serving outcomes,

and even as a political slogan (Bramwell, 2004; Hempel, 1999; MacLellan, 1997;

Mowforth & Munt, 1998; Stabler, 1997; Wall, 1997). Government policies and plans for

sustainable tourism development have been described as little more than statements of

platitudes and rhetoric, backed by glossy images (Berke & Manta Conroy, 2000; Pforr,

2001; Pigram, 1990; Slee et al, 1997). There are “many apocryphal accounts of

governments, as well as destination communities, paying lip-service to sustainable

tourism in order to gain funding with a view to applying it to economic development

through tourism. It is little wonder, therefore, that the term sustainable tourism is derided

as a monumental oxymoron” (Stabler, 1997, p.4). There have also been criticisms that

governments have adopted sustainable tourism development ideologies with “so much

enthusiasm but so little real action” (Butler, 1997, p.119).

The role of government is such that they are encouraged to grow tourism as a means of

economic development and growth, and policies pursued are therefore most suited to the

interests of the national economy and the tourism industry (Bramwell, 2004; Dymond,

1997). Bramwell (2004, p.32) notes that as a result, “governments frequently talk ‘green’

but, in practice, usually give priority to economic growth over environmental protection”.

Consequently sustainable tourism policies may give the appearance of a paradigm shift

but in reality are focused on traditional concerns of economic returns (Butler, 1991;

Dovers & Handmer, 1993; Harrison et al, 2003; Wight, 2003). This has been found to be

the case in Australia, where despite suggestions that sustainability is a ‘motherhood’

issue (McKercher, 1993), economic goals are given a far higher priority than social and

environmental concerns in state and national government’s tourism policy agenda (Hall,

36

1994). Studies of Scotland (MacLellan, 1997), Southern Europe (Bianchi, 2004) and

Sweden (Aronsson, 2000) have aired similar criticisms noting that policy is overtly

focused on economic growth targets with sustainability addressed only to the extent that

it does not challenge the core pillars of free markets and profit maximisation. Spain has

also received criticism for its policies (Barke & Towner, 2003; Bianchi, 2004; Hunter-

Jones, Hughes, Eastwood & Morrison, 1997) where the term has been adopted more in

name than in actual practice, and new development still shows little sign of learning from

the negative experiences of many Spanish destinations. While overriding economic

objectives are obviously an issue, some have also attributed such problems to a general

lack of understanding by government of the principles underlying sustainable tourism

development (Harrison et al, 2003; MacLellan, 1997; Swarbrooke, 1998). The role of the

government in sustainable tourism planning will be further addressed in Chapter Three

(section 3.3.3.1).

The private sector of the tourism industry has also been the target of much criticism

regarding sustainable tourism, despite the reports of some operators within the

hospitality, transport and attractions sectors introducing environmental measures such as

energy conservation, recycling and waste reduction, and triple bottom line accounting

(Checkley, 1992; Dwyer, 2005; Jayawardena, 2003; Murphy, 1998; Swarbrooke, 1998).

Harris and Leiper (1995) however, warn against assuming this is the norm. In the UK the

public sector have designed initiatives to encourage voluntary action at the level of the

individual business although this has focused mainly upon the production of good

practice guides emphasising the compatibility of environmental policies with business

success. It has been claimed that this may be the best way of stimulating business

interest in environmental concerns (Dewhurst & Thomas, 2003; Dutton & Hall, 1989;

Hall, 2000; Middleton & Hawkins, 1998). Others, however, are not so complementary of

such sustainability initiatives. Wheeler (1994, p.651), a strong critic of sustainable

tourism, notes that, “just a never-ending series of laughable codes of ethics: codes of

ethics for travellers; codes of ethics for tourists, for government and for tourism

businesses. Codes for all, or more likely codeine for all”. Such statements highlight that

despite such initiatives, the private sector has no pervasive or deep embrace of the

37

concept aside from its use as a marketing or re-branding tool, which serves self-interests

of financial sustainability (Eligh et al, 2002; Weaver, 2006).

Policy and practice progress towards sustainable tourism development can be seen in an

excerpt from Swarbrooke (1998, p.vii),

“In recent years, the concept of sustainable tourism has taken centre stage in

the tourism world. So much has been written and spoken about sustainable

tourism that one could be forgiven for thinking there is nothing left to say

on the subject. However, for all the words, there are still relatively few

examples of successful sustainable tourism initiatives…in other words we

have failed to put theory into practice. Even where attempts have been

made to turn words into action, the results have generally been very

limited”.

Trousdale (1999) also acknowledges that despite the widely acknowledged need for more

sustainable development in tourism, there remains a large and growing gap between

sustainability doctrine and actual achievements.

2.3.3 Sustainability Indicators and Measurement Models

The gap between theory and practice can be attributed to the fact that while it is relatively

easy to conceptualise and proselytise about the need for sustainable tourism development,

it is far more challenging to develop an effective, yet practical measurement process

(Murphy, 1998). However, as sustainability is increasingly being viewed as “a necessity,

not just an ‘ethical option’ for tourism development” (Cabrini, 2004, p.2), a series of

instruments and tools have been developed. Although not without criticisms (Butler,

1997; Coccossis & Parpairis, 1995; James, 2001; Liu, 2003; McMinn, 1997; Rigby,

Howlett & Woodhouse, 2000; Swarbrooke, 1998; Velikova, 2001), the concepts of

thresholds and carrying capacity have been proposed as providing practical ways to

understand the net effects of the positive and negative impacts associated with tourism

(Bosselman, Peterson, Craig & McCarthy, 1999; Cooper, Fletcher, Fyall, Gilbert &

38

Wanhill, 2005; D’Amore, 1983; Dymond, 1997; Pigram, 1990; Quattrone, 2002; Rigby et

al, 2000).

Indicators for sustainability have also been proposed in an attempt to determine critical

levels of tourism activity on a place (Barke & Towner, 2003; Basu, 2003; Dymond, 1997;

Mowforth & Munt, 1998; Rebello & Baidal, 2004; Weaver, 2006). It is claimed that

indicators of sustainable tourism can be used as an early warning system to trigger

planning and management strategies, thus preventing irreversible tourism impacts. The

WTO (1995) have developed a range of sustainable tourism indicators for site protection,

stress, use intensity, social impact, development control, waste management, planning

process, critical ecosystems, consumer satisfaction and tourism contribution to the local

economy. The use of indicators, particularly at the local level, has been recommended to

provide benchmarks of change and progress (James, 2001). A further area, which is

receiving increasing attention, is sustainability accreditation (or ecotourism

accreditation). A plethora of programs have emerged over recent years such as Green

Globe 21, the European Blue Flag Campaign and the WWF’s PAN Parks program

(Harris, Griffin & Williams, 2002), designed to provide formal assessments and

benchmarks of an organization’s sustainability performance.

A variety of sustainability tools and models have also been proposed in an attempt to

monitor progress towards sustainability. Some of these include: demand/visitor

management strategies, land use and environmental impact assessments and socio-

economic indicators (Ashworth, 1995; Buhalis & Fletcher, 1995; Deery, Jago &

Fredline, 2005; Fyall & Garrod, 1997; Manning & Dougherty, 2000; McCool, 1993;

McCool & Lime, 2001; Mowforth & Munt, 1998; Rebello & Baidal, 2004; Stabler, 1997;

Swarbrooke, 1998; Westlake, 1995). Models such as the ‘tourist ecological footprint’

(Hunter, 2002), barometer of tourism sustainability (Ko, 2001), tourism optimisation

management model (McCool & Lime, 2001), sustainability assessment maps (Ko, 2005),

and codes of conduct and good practice (Twynam & Johnston, 2002), among others,

have also been recommended.

39

It has been suggested that, despite the model or approach taken, the tourism industry

should adopt a safe minimum standard approach to development which aims to minimise

the risk that irreversible changes will foreclose development opportunities for future

generations (Liu, 2003; Pigram, 1990). There is some degree of consensus that a holistic

and iterative strategic framework for planning the future development of an area is

required, which assesses development on an ongoing basis to identify impacts and

provide information to guide subsequent responses (Dymond, 1997). Such a framework

has been seen as the responsibility of the public sector as it is often suggested that local

authorities are most appropriate for assuming responsibility for sustainable development

as they provide an existing and critical operational link between ministerial and

legislative directives and the varied components of the operating tourism industry

(Aronsson, 2000; Ashworth, 1995; Dymond, 1997; Nijkamp & Verdonkschot, 1995).

2.3.4 Factors for Success

The WTO (2004, 2000) have identified a range of success factors for achieving

sustainability, most of which centre on stakeholder participation in tourism destination

planning. It is considered necessary that the local community has the opportunity to

participate and that cooperation exists between stakeholders, in addition to a commitment

to the environment and monitoring mechanisms to ensure the continuous improvement of

the process. These WTO success factors have been supported in other studies (Butler,

1997; Dutton & Hall, 1989; Evans 1997; Lew & Hall, 1998; Nitsch & van Straaten,

1995).

The planning horizon is also considered a vital factor in achieving sustainability and it

has been noted that there is a need to overcome, the often reverted to, short-term

perspective (Cooper 2002; Jepson, 2004; Lew & Hall, 1998; Swarbrooke, 1998; von

Friedrichs Grangsjo, 2003). For this reason the notion of vision and visioning is believed

to be a contributor to sustainable tourism planning success. Page and Thorn (1997) note

the need for a national vision for tourism to guide efforts to achieve sustainable tourism

at the regional and local level, and Jayawardena (2003) has found a vision is necessary to

40

connect with stakeholders. Beatley (1995) also considers visioning a necessary planning

technique due to the future oriented requirements of sustainable tourism planning.

Planners and their communities must foresee and shape the scope and character of future

development, identify existing and emerging needs, and fashion new or amend existing

plans and policies to ensure that those needs will be met and that communities will be

able to continually reproduce and revitalise themselves (Berke, 2002). Such efforts entail

feedback, learning, and adaptive change through trial and error in which communities

generate knowledge and discover practical applications toward sustainability (Berke,

2002). To build this knowledge base Fyall & Garrod (1997) suggest that defining the

concept of sustainable development and establishing it as an objective of the tourism

industry is in fact the first step in achieving genuinely sustainable tourism.

Sustainable tourism planning, as discussed, also requires at a minimum stakeholder

involvement and participation, but ideally cooperation and collaboration. To ensure the

success of such efforts it is necessary to understand and diffuse the power base of

particular stakeholder groups through the empowerment of the local community (Bianchi,

2004; Brown & Essex, 1997; Hunter, 1997; Jamal & Getz, 1995; von Friedrichs

Grangsjo, 2003), otherwise “sustainable tourism simply recycles old methods such as

participation in a new language” (Crouch, 1994, p.98).

A holistic approach to destination management has also been identified as a key factor

arising from the sustainable tourism development agenda (Bramwell & Lane, 1993;

Faulkner, 2003; Ritchie, 1999). A destination management approach not only

incorporates strategic planning and broad based stakeholder participation, but also

recognises the need for planning that is not driven solely by a destination marketing

perspective. As Faulkner (2003, p.50) notes, “one of the more obvious implications…is

the need for a more comprehensive, integrated and holistic approach that goes beyond the

traditional focus on destination marketing to take into account a broader range of

environmental, social and economic issues”. The tendency to adopt a market orientation

towards tourism planning was noted as a challenge in many countries including Australia

(Chapter One).

41

Other aspects of success have also been identified in studies of sustainable tourism and

the sustainable tourism planning process including the need to: gain political support;

establish appropriate organizational structures; ensure experienced, knowledgeable and

involved local authorities; and secure adequate funding and resources (Brown & Essex,

1997; Hunter, 1997; Nijkamp & Verdonkschot, 1995; Nitsch & van Straaten, 1995).

Butler (1997) also identifies the need for clarification of the effects of changes associated

with tourism compared with other forms of development, and regulation and control of

the rate, type and level of development, while Lew and Hall (1998) add the need to

readdress the value orientation so that tourism impacts take precedence over market

economics.

2.4 Moving the Sustainability Concept Towards Practice

The sustainable tourism concept is fraught with debate, disagreement and contention.

However it is the position taken by many, and the one used to guide this research, that

sustainable tourism is not a product, but a necessary philosophical base to underpin and

provide direction for tourism destination planning. While accepting that actual

sustainability may only ever be approached rather than permanently achieved (Butler,

1997; Milne, 1998), Beatley (1995) advocates that the difficulties associated with

sustainability should not paralyse us into complacency or non-action. He highlights the

role of planners in “promoting the dialogue about sustainability and in conceiving public-

policy solutions that promote sustainability” (Beatley, 1995, p.392). The notion that

inaction is unacceptable is supported by Bramwell and Lane (1993, p.3) who note that,

“One must ask what the alternatives are to developing more sustainable

tourism- presumably either sit back and do nothing or else to criticise

without offering any realistic, practical ways forward. Both alternatives

seem likely to…allow the negative effects of tourism to increase further in

scale”.

42

While there is opportunity for academic debate and discourse regarding the concept, this

must take second place to the development of practical tools, particularly in the area of

planning, for destination planners, managers and their communities to address

sustainability, “it is easy to discuss sustainability but…the time has come to walk the

talk” (Bramwell & Lane, 1993, p.4). A key problem is that there is a ‘grey’ area of

rhetoric between sustainability principles and translation into workable objectives and

standards (Goodall & Stabler, 1997) and to overcome this a number of authors have

noted the need to move on from the conceptual debate and given consideration to the

actual practice of sustainable tourism development (Fyall & Garrod, 1997; Liu, 2003;

Pearce & Turner, 1993; Slee et al, 1997; Welford & Ytterhus, 2004).

2.5 Chapter Two Summary

This chapter has provided an overview of the sustainable tourism development concept,

and more importantly critiqued the state of the sustainability debate to help place the

research issue in the context of current international perspectives on the topic. There is

obviously considerable debate regarding sustainable tourism and its practical application.

While it is important to acknowledge this, it is considered that the sustainable tourism

development concept does offer guidelines and philosophies by which current and future

tourism development decisions can be measured against. By utilising a sustainable

development approach to planning at least some progress can be made towards ensuring

economic, environmental and social aspects are given, ideally equal, but at least due

consideration. This is surely better than no action at all (Bramwell & Lane, 1993).

It was identified that a potential inhibitor is moving the sustainability concept from

theory to practice. Although it may appear that progress is being made in this area,

studies such as Jepson’s (2004) highlight that while planning documents are increasingly

identifying sustainable development as their conceptual basis, this is not carried through

into actual policies and programs. Therefore if sustainability is to move beyond a vague

idealism, the task ahead for planners is to translate theory into practice as the gap is

43

growing rapidly between sustainability doctrine and actual achievements (Berke, 2002;

Trousdale, 1999).

In spite of these challenges, the sustainable tourism development concept has received

more acceptance as a broad framework for planning than as a quantifiable and achievable

objective. Similarly the requirement that strategic planning and stakeholder participation

must underpin a sustainable approach to tourism planning has received some level of

agreement amongst authors. Chapter Three examines the concepts of strategic planning

and stakeholder participation as contributors to sustainable tourism in more detail.

44

Chapter Three

Strategic Planning and Stakeholder Participation as Contributors to

Sustainable Tourism

3.0 Introduction

The negative impacts of tourism activity have primarily been attributed to inadequate or

non-existent planning frameworks for tourism development. Therefore it has been

advocated that tourism planning is vital to offset the harmful, and attempt to maximise

the positive, impacts that tourism can have on a destination community. While several

different approaches have evolved, tourism planning based on the philosophies of

sustainability has emerged as one of the most comprehensive approaches. However, two

critical concepts have been identified as precursors to a sustainable approach to tourism

planning: a strategic orientation towards tourism planning and enhanced levels of

multiple stakeholder participation in the tourism planning process (Simpson, 2001).

This chapter examines the concepts of strategic planning and stakeholder participation.

Although inextricably linked in the context of sustainable tourism development, each of

these concepts has evolved from a distinct and considerable body of literature. This

chapter firstly discusses the need for tourism planning and the various tourism planning

approaches that have emerged, before examining the notion of strategic tourism

destination planning, including an overview of the organizational origins of strategy and

strategic planning. Secondly stakeholder participation in tourism planning is discussed.

Beginning with an overview of public participation and citizen democracy ideologies, the

evolution of these concepts to tourism is examined. The three key stakeholder groups in

tourism destinations, the government, the industry and the resident community are also

addressed, as well as the more recent calls to move beyond the notion of participation to

engage in stakeholder collaboration and cooperation in tourism destination planning.

45

3.1 Impetus for Tourism Destination Planning

In the ‘boom’ years following World War II, increased leisure time, higher disposable

incomes, migration and rapid advances in transportation technology saw unprecedented

levels of international travel. Governments around the world soon recognised the

potential of their natural and cultural assets as attractors for travellers and in turn

stimulants for economic development (Coltman, 1989; Cooper & Pigram, 1984; Crouch

& Shaw, 1992; Goeldner, 1992; Harrison, 1992; Holloway, 1994; Yau & Chan, 1990).

Murphy (1985, p.155) claims that as a result countries were “lured…into the business

with little forethought concerning a viable tourism product, the social and environmental

consequences of development, or the spill over effects in surrounding areas”.

The approach to tourism development was essentially myopic both in terms of economic

objectives, which were seen to be a self-justifying end, and in terms of planning (Archer,

1997; Coccossis, 1996; Goeldner, 1992; Lickorish & Jenkins, 1997; McKercher, 1992;

Murphy, 1985; Spanoudis, 1982). The rapid pace and confidence associated with tourism

activity often meant that responses to impacts were matched by ad hoc responses

reflecting the optimism (Bosselman, Peterson, Craig & McCarthy, 1999; Briassoulis,

2002; Hall, 1998; Cooper & Jackson, 1989; Young, Richins & Rugimbana, 1993). Little

if any thought was given to the structured development of destinations and the idea of

such planning was an unpopular idea (French, Craig-Smith & Collier, 1995; Gunn, 1988).

Where planning was utilised it was perceived as simply a process to select a hotel or

resort site, ensure there was transportation access to the area, and to organise a tourist

promotional campaign (Inskeep, 1991). The WTO (1994, p.iix) note that

“These uncontrolled developments may have brought some short-term

economic benefits but over the long term have resulted in environmental and

social problems and poor quality tourist destinations…it is obviously better to

plan for controlled development initially, and prevent problems from arising

in the first place”.

46

3.1.1 Tourism Planning

Planning essentially refers to thinking and making decisions about current and future

activity (Ackoff, 1970; Bryson & Einsweiler, 1988; Koontz, 1958; Lang, 1986;

Ozbekhan, 1969; Sawyer, 1983; Snyder & Glueck, 1980; Steiner, 1969; van Gunsteren,

1976; Wilkinson, 1997). Physical planning is a practice that has taken place for centuries

(Gunn, 1994), and Mason and Leberman (2000) claim that modern physical or urban

planning can be traced back at least two hundred years to the United Kingdom, where

town planning emerged as the population became increasingly urbanised and

industrialized, and the associated environmental and social problems escalated.

While physical planning is still primarily concerned with residential, commercial and

industrial land uses there has been a move away from the preparation of ‘master’ plans

which are seen to be too rigid and not feasible to implement over an extended period

(Butler & Hall, 1998; Healey, 1997; Inskeep, 1991). More recent approaches focus on

planning as an ongoing, flexible process, conducted incrementally with continuous

monitoring and feedback on the effects of implementation, in order to influence decision

making for the next stage of development (Inskeep, 1991; Mason & Leberman, 2000). In

this context planning is increasingly encompassing a wider range of considerations,

including environmental protection, commercial and corporate interests and public

opinion, which have previously been considered outside a physical planners domain

(Dredge, 1999). Gunn (1994) further supports the move towards ‘new’ planning and

notes that a broader and more effective planning philosophy is being employed and

frequently terms such as public involvement, participatory planning, grass roots planning,

and integrative planning are being linked to modern planning. Lang (1986) describes this

as a ‘learning adaptive model of planning’ and suggests it is capable of creating a sense

of commonality which may motivate actors to seek new forms of collaborative action;

and in turn build capacity to respond effectively to changes as well as generate change

when necessary.

47

In the context of tourism, planning broadly refers to the anticipation and regulation of

change to mitigate negative development issues through the promotion of orderly

development and increasing the social, economic and environmental benefits of tourism

to an area, while satisfying the needs of residents and guests (French et al, 1995; Inskeep,

1991, 1988; Jansen-Verbeke, 1992; Jenkins, 1991; Mathieson & Wall, 1982; Murphy,

1985; Timothy, 1999; van Harssel, 1994). It can also be viewed as a decision-making

and organizational process for determining and designing preferred future tourism

development (Chadwick, 1971; Fridgen, 1991; Haywood, 1988; Inskeep, 1991; Poon,

1993; Veal, 1994). The experiences of early tourism destinations highlight the fact that

completely unregulated or unplanned tourism development will almost certainly lead to

the degradation of the physical and social resource base upon which tourism and the

destination community depends (Butler, 1980; Doxey, 1975; Formica & Uysal, 1996;

Gunn, 1994; Hall, 2000; Inskeep, 1991; Lundberg, 1972; Manning & Dougherty, 2000;

Smith, 1992; Veal, 1994). Therefore destinations with carefully planned development are

likely to experience the most success in terms of high tourist satisfaction level, positive

economic benefits, and minimal negative impacts on the local social, economic, and

physical environments (Timothy, 1999). In this context a tourism destination is broadly

defined as a physical space in which a visitor spends at least one night and includes

tourism products such as support services and attractions (WTO, 2004). Destinations

may further be defined by geographical or political boundaries (Bieger, 1998;

Capenerhurst, 1994; Pearce, 1989).

Baud-Bovy and Lawson (1971) identify a number of reasons why public authorities

might instigate tourism planning including; to launch or develop the tourism industry in

an area with the objective of the plan being to initially assess opportunities for tourism

development; to organise regional development around an existing resort and/or to

protect resources; to control spontaneous development by individual entrepreneurs; to

protect and enhance the resources of the area; and, to integrate tourism development into

the overall policies of regional and economic planning. Hall (1998, p.244) reiterates the

importance of integrating tourism within the wider planning process in order to “promote

48

certain goals of economic, social and environmental enhancement or maximisation that

may be achieved through appropriate tourism development”.

The processes and techniques of planning have had to adapt to ever increasing rates of

political, social, cultural, economic and environmental change and as such there has been

a significant evolution in tourism planning paradigms from narrow concerns with

physical planning and promotion to a more balanced form that recognises the need for

greater community involvement and environmental sensitivity (Getz 1987; Gunn, 1977;

Inskeep 1991; Murphy 1985; Pearce, 1989; Timothy, 1999; Tosun & Jenkins, 1998). The

various tourism planning approaches have been described in terms of evolutions of

government policy (Airey, 1983; Cooper, 1995; Din, 1992; Getz, 1986; Godfrey, 1996;

Hall, 1998; Lundberg, 1972), platforms (Jafari, 1990), and as a series of methodologies

developed in response to dissatisfaction with planning efforts (Jain, 2000; Tosun &

Jenkins, 1998). Based on the traditions of tourism planning originally proposed by Getz

(1986) and further conceptualised by Hall (2000), five approaches to tourism planning

are considered: economic, physical, environmental, community and sustainable.

Table 3.1: Overview of the Evolution of Tourism Planning

Time frame

Tosun & Jenkins (1998)

Hall (1998) Jafari (1990) Getz (1986) / Hall (2000)

Current Study

1950-1960s

Unplanned development

era

Streamlining of policies

Advocacy Boosterism Economic

1960-1970s

Supply oriented

Marketing and supply

- Economic Physical

1970-1980s

Demand oriented

- Cautionary Physical and spatial

Environmental

1980-1990s

Integrated - Knowledge- based

Community Community

1990-2000…

Collaborative Pubic- private partnerships

Public platform

Sustainable Sustainable

Jafari (1990) proposes a series of platforms, which encapsulate the evolving perspectives

of tourism and it’s associated impacts. The first is considered the advocacy platform,

which arose following World War II where economic reconstruction and expansion of

tourism underpinned favorable views of tourism development. The cautionary platform

49

emerged in the early 1970s and challenged the advocacy platform with the negative

consequences of tourism. Sociologists and anthropologists began to criticize the overt

emphasis on tourism economics and this spawned a major increase in academic research

on tourism. The third platform, adaptancy, which arose in the 1980s addressed

alternative forms of tourism and focused on new, green, responsible, and soft tourism

which was argued to have fewer negative impacts. Jafari’s (1990) final platform is the

knowledge based platform which, arising in the 1990s aims to position itself on a body of

knowledge and learn from the mistakes of the past. However Jafari (1990) does add the

caveat that no one platform has replaced another and all can be found concurrently in the

tourism literature.

3.1.1.1 Economic Approach to Tourism Planning

The economic approach is recognized as not only one of the first approaches to tourism

planning, but is said to have been the dominant tradition towards tourism development

and planning since the early 1960s (Getz, 1986). Depicted by Getz (1986) as

‘boosterism’, it is based on the ‘simplistic’ assumption that tourism development is

inherently good and of automatic benefit to the hosts so little if any attention is given to

the negative impacts of tourism activity. This can be attributed to the fact that a tourism

destination’s success is invariably measured in terms of economic returns, and is based

on the assumption that cultural and natural resources are commodities to be utilised for

tourism development (Kaiser & Helber, 1978).

Under the economic tradition, tourism is seen as an industry which can be used as a tool

by governments to achieve certain goals of economic growth and restructuring, with

planning emphasizing the economic impacts of tourism and its most efficient use to

create income and employment benefits for regions or communities. One of the main

characteristics of the economic approach is the use of marketing to attract the type of

visitor who will provide the greatest economic benefit to the destination, given the

destination’s specific tourist resources. Getz (1986) actually describes this approach as a

form of ‘non-planning’ as where planning does occur it focuses on forecasting tourism

50

demand for the sole purpose of promotion and development as opposed to ensuring levels

of demand are appropriate to the resources and social carrying capacity of a region. In

retrospect the emphasis on this type of tourism planning can be attributed to the fact that

it evolved in a period where the positives of tourism were highly publicised and neither

the tourists nor the host community were aware or yet had reason to be concerned about

the impacts of tourism (Bhatia, 1986; Krippendorf, 1982; Murphy, 1985).

3.1.1.2 Physical Approach to Tourism Planning

Considered to have evolved alongside the economic approach, the physical (or land-use)

planning approach reflected a supply orientation towards development due to high levels

of tourist demand (Baud-Bovy, 1982; Choy, 1991). As with the economic, the physical

approach also demonstrated a lack of understanding or unwillingness to consider the

negative impacts of tourism development. Most tourism development plans were based

around detailed surveys and appraisals of the physical resources of the destination;

primarily concerned with land use planning for specific resort complexes, hotels and

visitor areas (Baud-Bovy & Lawson, 1971). Destination resources were carefully

analysed and combined with market surveys to produce an attractive image of future

tourism development, defining the necessary infrastructures and pointing out favourable

locations for the various facilities which was primarily for the benefit of investors and

developers (Baud-Bovy, 1982; Choy, 1991; Getz, 1986; Godfrey, 1996). In this way

planning became isolated, site-specific and non-integrated ventures, with little or no

concern about possible spin-off effects of proposals and projects on adjacent areas or

environments (Murphy, 1985).

Later approaches to physical planning reflected a growing recognition of tourism’s

ecological base and the need for development to be based upon certain spatial patterns

that would minimise the negative impacts of tourism on the physical environment. To

address the natural resources of a region and the capacity or limitations of sites to

withstand tourism infrastructure the concepts of physical and social carrying capacity,

environmental thresholds and acceptable or desirable rates of change became an issue

51

(Getz, 1986; Hall, 1998). Based on the work of geographers and land-use planners,

tourism planners sought to manipulate travel patterns by concentrating or dispersing

tourists in specific areas (Doswell, 1997; Hall et al, 1997; Pearce, 1989). While these

plans did begin to address the natural resources and travel patterns that occur within a

tourism destination, they failed to give attention to all attributes of the destination.

3.1.1.3 Environmental Approach to Tourism Planning

While the physical approach provided some early considerations of the impact of tourism

activity on the destinations natural resources, the environmental approach to tourism

planning gained force as the effects of tourism activity became tangible and recognisable

(Krippendorf, 1982). As the global conservation movement of the late 1960s and 1970s

gained momentum, tourism as a highly visible industry came under close scrutiny for its

impacts on the environment. During this period attention was forced away from a purely

economic and physical planning focus and began to address environmental concerns

(Godfrey, 1996). Host communities were forced to come to terms with the irreversible

and damaging effects of tourism on the environment, particularly in the larger tourist

areas where the negative effects of tourism on the environment had become very visible:

haphazard and unplanned building and settlement, architectural destruction of the

landscape, and the disturbance of the balance of nature (Krippendorf, 1982).

Throughout this phase the relative failure of the previous planning approaches which had

focused heavily on the positives of tourism became evident and led to the development of

a more comprehensive planning approach which recognised the importance of external

ramifications and where possible the need to accommodate them (Choy, 1991; Edington

& Edington, 1986; Romeril, 1989; Smith & Jenner, 1989). The environment in most

cases is the tourism product and people travel to an attraction or destination because of its

climate, its scenic beauty, or its manmade attractions (Kaiser & Helber, 1978). It was

realised that if the environment were overly degraded, tourists would no longer visit and

that it would therefore be in the best interests of the industry to protect the environment in

order to protect their livelihood. In an attempt to build suitable interactions between

52

tourists and the natural environment, Ocko (1990) claims that environmentally sensitive,

responsible, low-impact, alternative and ecotourism emerged as some of the new labels

that allow for ‘guilt-free’ travel (Chapter Two, section 2.3.1).

3.1.1.4 Community Approach to Tourism Planning

In the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, as the numbers of tourists grew it was

acknowledged that not only was tourism having irreversible and damaging effects to the

natural environment, but it was also harming host communities and cultures. Tourism’s

potential as an economic force had been seized upon by government at all levels, but the

result has been top down planning and promotion that left destinations with little input

over their own destinies (Murphy, 1985). In addition, local residents while suffering the

negative impacts of tourism activity often did not receive any of the positive economic

returns of tourism. As Akis, Peristianis and Warner (1996, p.481) note, “governments,

perhaps persuaded by foreign entrepreneurs assurance of streets paved with gold, took

little trouble to consult with local residents”. The community approach to tourism

planning recognised the need to develop more socially acceptable guidelines for tourism

expansion while also addressing the need for local control over the development process

(Murphy, 1985). Considered a form of ‘bottom up’ planning, residents are the focal point

of the tourism planning exercise rather than the tourists, and the community, which is

often equated with a region of local government, is regarded as the basic planning unit

(Hall, 1998).

One of the key components of the community approach is the notion that in satisfying

local needs it may also be possible to satisfy the needs of the tourist, as tourism more than

any other industry relates to the total community, as it is a feature or combination of

features of that community that attracts tourists (Blank, 1989; Gunn, 1994; Hall, 1998;

McIntosh & Goeldner, 1986). The community approach to tourism planning stemmed

from the recognition that the community, and indeed a range of stakeholder groups

should participate in the tourism planning process. This concept is further discussed in

section 3.3 of this chapter.

53

3.1.1.5 Sustainable Approach to Tourism Planning

While reflecting the growing international debate on sustainable development generally

(Chapter Two), the sustainable approach to tourism planning in effect began to draw

together the distinctive approaches of the economic, physical, environmental, and

community approaches to tourism planning (Potts & Harrill, 1998). This is due to the

fact that sustainable development has the primary objective of providing lasting and

secure livelihoods, which minimise resource depletion, environmental degradation,

cultural disruption and social instability (Hall, 1998; Page & Thorn, 1997). Sustainable

development has also been advocated for the tourism sector as a possible solution to the

environmental and social degradation of the industry’s resources and due to the fact that

tourism is a resource industry which is dependent on nature’s endowment and society’s

heritage (Murphy, 1994).

The sustainable approach to tourism planning is based on a set of fundamental principles

and prerequisites including cooperation, industry coordination, consumer awareness of

sustainable and non-sustainable options, the preservation of ecological processes,

protection of human heritage and biodiversity and sustained productivity over the long

term for future generations (Bramwell & Lane, 1993; Dutton & Hall, 1989). The two that

have been identified as the most crucial (Simpson, 2001), and are the most relevant to

this study, are strategic planning that incorporates stakeholder participation and

collaboration. These will be discussed in section 3.2 and 3.3.

The move towards strategic tourism destination planning was investigated by Cooper

(1995) who identified stages in the evolution of strategic planning in the offshore islands

of the United Kingdom (Table 3.2). Cooper concluded from his study that “the

prevailing philosophy of sustainable tourism development in the 1990s is being reflected

in the adoption of strategic planning at many destinations”; evidenced by the strategic

initiatives been implemented in response to the changing problems facing the industry

(Cooper, 1995, p.194). Further it was found that the experience of the islands

demonstrates that the strategic planning process is a difficult one for tourist destinations

54

as they do not function in the same way as companies and therefore other considerations

have to be built into the process- in particular consideration of the differing stakeholders

values and opinions.

Table 3.2: Evolution of Strategic Tourism Destination Planning

Stage Characteristics and Initiatives

Stage 1: Unplanned period

(prior to 1935)

• Predates formal tourist boards • Official tourist policy replacing private initiatives and

local chamber of commerce publicity Stage 2: Annual plans,

budgets and early

strategies (post World

War II)

• Development of annual plans, budgets and some early strategies

• Implementation of public sector tourist boards

Stage 3: Strategic

planning (from 1980s

onwards)

• Strategies developed, funded and led by public sector boards

• Strategies reactive- crisis management- perceived threats • Characterised by top down management and minimal

consultation Source: Cooper, 1995

3.1.1.6 Which Tourism Planning Approach in Practice?

While the above discussion alludes to a chronological progression with one planning

approach superceding its predecessor, as suggested by some authors (Table 3.1), others

have claimed that in reality this is not the case (Jafari, 2005, 1990). Due to the economic

benefits generated by tourism activity Getz (1987, 1986) notes that the economic

approach is still practiced in many countries and destinations, further claiming that

adopting an economic focus is when the real damage to the environment occurs.

According to Getz (1987, p.10),

“Boosterism is still practiced and always will be, by two groups of people:

politicians who philosophically or pragmatically believe that economic

growth is always to be promoted and by others who will gain financially by

tourism. They will go on promoting it until the evidence mounts that they

55

have run out of resources to exploit, that the real or opportunity costs are too

high, or that political opposition to growth can no longer be countered. By

then the real damage has usually been done”.

More recent work by Hall (1998) supports Getz’s notion that economic goals are given

priority over social and ecological issues and economic motivations are still foremost in

tourism planning. Simpson (2001) however, finds that while elements of each approach

can still be discerned in contemporary tourism development processes, it is possible to

detect an increasingly common adherence to sustainable tourism planning, through the

adoption of strategic planning principles (Cooper, 1995).

3.2 Strategic Planning as a Contributor to Sustainable Tourism

Strategic planning is recognized as one of the most important contributors to the

sustainable tourism planning approach (Dutton & Hall, 1989; Hall, 2000; Simpson,

2001). While tourism planning per se has been utilized in various forms and based on a

variety of approaches (section 3.1.1), the sustainable approach to tourism planning

requires destinations to move beyond traditional planning approaches and engage in

longer term strategic planning. Strategic planning is a widely accepted organizational

management technique that offers theories and concepts, which can be applied to

strategic planning in the context of a tourism destination.

3.2.1 The Strategic Planning Concept

The strategic planning concept reputedly evolved from studies of warfare in B.C. times

where military strategies were formulated with the aim of exploiting competitors’

weaknesses through objectives, missions and plans, to achieve an advantageous situation

and ultimately win the battle (David, 1999; Eden & Ackerman, 1998; Joyce & Woods,

1996; Macmillan & Tampoe, 2000; Makridakis, 1990; Oliver, 2001; Quinn, Mintzberg &

James, 1988). This resonates with modern applications of the concept as Porter (1996,

p.62) defines strategy as, “the creation of a unique and valuable position, involving a

56

different set of activities...to choose activities that are different from rivals”. It is

effectively a pattern of purposes, policies, programs, actions, decisions or resource

allocations that define what an organisation is, what it does and why it does it (Ansoff,

1988; Bryson, 1995; Campbell, Stonehouse & Houston, 1999; Chandler, 1962; Hart,

1992).

Modern thinking on business strategy was first applied in the United States and Europe in

the late 1950s and 1960s as cultural, economic and political events began to change the

dynamics and demands of the marketplace, forcing organizations to reconsider their

practices and products (Ansoff, 1979; Forster & Browne, 1996; Fredrickson, 1990; Joyce

& Woods, 1996; Macmillan & Tampoe, 2000). The solution was seen to lie in strategic

planning- a rational, analytical thought process, taking into account the opportunities

offered by the environment, the strengths and weaknesses of the organisation,

culminating in a detailed specification of both the long-term aims of the organisation and

the specific strategy for achieving these aims (Abell, 1980; Ansoff, Declerck & Hayes,

1976; Heracleous, 1998; Hussey, 1999; Kotler, Adam, Brown & Armstrong, 2001).

Strategic planning has been described as “a comprehensive plan of action that sets a

critical direction, and guides the allocation of resources to achieve long term objectives”

(Schermerhorn, 1996, p.160).

The concept of strategic planning is a cornerstone of conventional management theory. It

has proven to be an essential prerequisite for successful organisations (Miller & Cardinal,

1994) since the 1960s when the Harvard Business School developed the first of numerous

strategic planning models (Andrews, 1971; Ansoff, 1991, 1988; Chandler, 1962;

Drucker, 1955; Dyson, 1990; Evans, 2000; Kaufman & Jacobs, 1993; Kotler, Haider &

Rein, 1993; Macmillan & Tampoe, 2000; Miles & Snow, 1978; Mintzberg, 1990; Phillips

& Moutinho, 2000; Porter, 1990, 1985, 1980; Steiner, 1979; Whittington, 2001). The

vast body of literature on strategic planning has not led to a single school of strategic

thought or to an agreed set of concepts that will work well in all circumstances (Camillus,

1996; Eden & Ackerman, 1998; Mintzberg, Ahlstrand & Lampel, 1998; Mintzberg &

Waters, 1985). However there is some level of agreement that there are a number of

57

different types of strategy that can be applied to manage both internal and external

environments and that strategic planning involves the formulation of long-term goals

followed by the allocation of resources to achieve these goals (Chandler, 1962; David,

1999; Ginter & Duncan, 1990; Helms & Wright, 1992; Macmillan & Tampoe, 2000;

Porter, 1987).

A strategic plan will usually describe the present and planned directions and priorities,

consider the scope or domain of action within which the organisation will try to achieve

its objectives, while taking into account the skills, resources or distinctive competencies

to be used to achieve its objectives. In addition it is considered necessary to address

within the plan the advantages that the organisation expects to achieve vis-à-vis its

competitors through its skills and resource deployments; and the synergies that will result

from the ways the organisation deploys its skills and resources (Birla, 2000; Bryson,

1995; Schendel & Hofer, 1979). The concept of stakeholders is important in strategic

planning (Eden & Ackerman, 1998), and as Simpson (2001) finds, a strategic planning

approach should identify critical stakeholder values, use these values to articulate a broad

vision for the future, establish generic goals which will contribute to a realization of

vision, establish specific objectives to bridge the gap between current status and generic

goals, and assign priorities, responsibility and control systems to monitor implementation

effectiveness.

Vision, mission statements, and goals and objectives are all important components of the

traditional strategic planning process (Covin, Slevin & Schultz, 1994; David, 1989;

Graham & Havlick, 1994; Mintzberg & Quinn, 1996; Pearce, 1982; Pearce & David,

1987; Richards, 1986). However the concept of vision is most relevant to this study.

Vision can be expressed as a picture or description of the nature of the organisation’s

business as it is intended to be at some time in the future (Hussey, 1999; Korac-

Kakabadse & Kakabadse, 1998; Nanus, 1992; Wolf & Gering, 1998). Generating an

organizational vision has generally been viewed as the capacity of a chief executive

officer or other ‘visionary leader’, with the vision expected to guide the organization and

sustain it during turbulent times (Bennis & Nanus, 1985; Brache & Freedman, 1999;

58

Camillus, Sessions & Webb, 1998; Frisch, 1998; Gupta, 1984; Westley, 1992; Westley &

Mintzberg, 1989). As such vision is seen as created in the mind of a leader and followers

will react positively to it when it reflects their values, shows an ideal future, and provides

direction for future behaviour (Nanus, 1992; Thoms & Greenberger, 1998). In reaction to

criticisms of the traditional strategic planning process, namely its structure and inability

to deal with the unpredictability of the real world, the concept of vision has evolved to

that of an emergent and collective process for long-term planning (Mintzberg, 1994). It

was also realised that creating a sense of purpose through a shared vision can bind people

together and propel them to fulfil their, and ideally the organizations, aspirations

(Mintzberg et al, 1998; Nutt & Backoff, 1997; Senge, Kleiner, Roberts, Ross & Smith,

1994; Westley & Mintzberg, 1989). The concept of strategic visioning is further

explored in Chapter Four.

3.2.1.1 Public Sector Applications of Strategic Planning

Although typically the domain of the private sector, the public and non-profit sectors also

utilise strategic planning in an attempt to understand their external and internal contexts

and to develop effective strategies to link the two and respond effectively to changes in

their environments (Berry & Wechsler, 1995; Bryson, 1995; David, 1999; Wortman,

1979). While traditionally concerned with policy, resources and program management

(Allison, 1979), public agencies, like other complex organisations, operate in turbulent

environments that impose numerous, rapidly changing demands, requiring substantial

adaptive capacity (Gargan, 1993; Nutt & Backoff, 1992; Wechsler & Backoff, 1987).

However while the private sector is oriented towards action in pursuit of profit, public

sector planning is more focused on advocating broader and more diverse participation in

the planning process, understanding its stakeholders, and determining the opportunities

and threats to a community (Bracker, 1980; Bryson, Van de Ven, & Roering 1986;

Denhardt 1985; Eadie 1983; Gregory & Keeney, 1994; Kaufman & Jacobs, 1993; Quinn,

1980; Rubin, 1998).

59

One of the greatest challenges facing public sector planning resonates with tourism

destination planning and that is the diversity of stakeholders that public organisations

must involve in decision-making and implementation phases of strategic planning. As

opposed to the more defined stakeholder groups of the private sector such as

shareholders, employees, and customers, in the public sector the focus of attention is on

how to organise collective thought and strategic action within a network in which no one

person, group, organisation, or institution is fully in charge (Nutt & Backoff, 1995,

1992). It is considered more difficult to organise an effective strategic planning process

when dealing with shared power, and in the public sector, effective strategic planning is a

collective phenomenon typically involving a diverse set of stakeholders, sponsors,

champions, facilitators, teams, and task forces in various ways and at a various times

(Bryson, 1995; Bryson & Roering, 1987). This diversity also makes it more difficult to

identify strategic issues and objectives to satisfy all stakeholders (Bower, 1977; Whorton

& Worthley, 1981). Although time consuming, attention must be given to all stakeholder

groups as the key for success in public organisations is the satisfaction of these groups to

ensure they adopt the strategies and support implementation. The issue of stakeholders is

further addressed in section 3.3.3.1 of this chapter.

3.2.2 Strategic Tourism Destination Planning

The scope of strategy and strategic planning can be extended to destinations, which are

not organisations, but rather a complex mix of individuals, enterprises and natural and

built environments (Haywood, 1990; Haywood & Walsh, 1996; Heath & Wall, 1992;

Tribe, 1997). Despite the differences, strategic planning is not dissimilar to that of the

private sector as it attempts to answer the questions of: Where are we now? Where do we

want to get to? How do we get there? (Hall, 2000).

Tourism destination strategic planning involves making a sequence of choices and

decisions about the deployment of resources committing a destination to a future course

of action (Brownlie, 1994). It requires a deliberate, integrative and formalised plan

which will permit the destination to adapt quickly to changing situations and develop

60

information, planning and control systems to monitor and respond to this change (Chon

& Olsen, 1990; Cooper, 1995). Strategic planning at a destination level also involves

identifying participants in the planning process, establishing structures for undertaking

the process, formulating a vision, mission statements and objectives, and agreeing on a

timeframe for the completion of the various planning stages (Haywood, 1990; Keane, Ó

Cinnéide & Cunningham, 1996).

In the specific context of a tourism destination, strategic planning should be designed to

develop tourism optimally, in terms of local income, employment generation and

maintaining local control, while minimising the negative effects of tourism development

on the environment and social fabric of the community (Atherton, 1992; Butler &

Waldbrook, 1991; Fletcher & Cooper, 1996; Gunn, 1988; Inskeep, 1991; Theobald, 1994;

Timothy, 1999).

Hall (2000) notes that strategy in the case of sustainable tourism planning and

development seeks to achieve conservation of tourism resource values, enhanced

experiences of the visitors who interact with tourism resources; and the maximisation of

the economic, social and environmental returns to stakeholders in the host community.

The process will involve physically developing: a comprehensive and integrated plan of

action for tourism at the destination; a clearly articulated set of goals and objectives

which provide the focus for the plan of action; the establishment of systems for

monitoring and evaluating progress towards goals and objectives; and, an approach to

planning which assesses the existing and anticipated opportunities and threats within the

environment (Faulkner, 1994).

3.2.2.1 Process Benefits and Challenges

There are a number of benefits and motivations for adopting a strategic approach to

tourism destination planning. It has been said that a strategic plan provides a sense of

purpose, ownership and support for both the industry and the public sector, which can

lead to a framework for cooperative action and policies (Hall, 2000; Hall & McArthur,

61

1998). Importantly it also emphasizes the need for both short and long term objectives

which can accommodate changing circumstances, and which the sector can be judged

against in the future (Cooper, 1995; Faulkner, 1994; Hall, 2000; Hall & McArthur, 1998).

However the complex nature of tourism destinations offers a number of strategic

planning challenges and as a result Cooper (1995) claims that strategic tourism

destination planning is still the exception rather than the rule. One inherent challenge is

the composition of tourism destinations, with a range of public and competing small to

medium sized private sector organizations (Cooper, 1995; Hall, 2000; Mason &

Leberman, 2000). This contributes to the challenge of identifying the vast number of

stakeholders that must be considered in a strategic planning exercise (Farrell, 1999). The

diverse nature of destinations has resulted in strategic planning often being put into the

‘too-hard basket’ (Hall et al, 1997). As Cooper (1995, p.192) notes, “[destinations] do

not function in the same way as companies and therefore other considerations have to be

built into the process”.

A further challenge is the tendency towards ad hoc, short-term and tactical tourism

planning, particularly by the private sector where success is judged by short-term

profitability and volume growth (Athiyaman, 1995; Bozeman & Straussman, 1990;

Cooper, 1995; Haywood, 1990; Ring & Perry, 1985). The public sector has traditionally

been viewed as responsible for higher-order planning, but they too have been found

guilty of lacking a strategic view (Cooper, 1995; Dredge & Moore, 1992; Page & Thorn,

1997). As Jenkins (1991, p.62) notes, “ad hoc responses to tourism opportunities and

problems do not constitute a policy for tourism, they merely provide short-term solutions

to essentially long-term problems”. Faulkner (1994) reports that in the Australian

tourism public sector there has been a fixation with advertising at the expense of a more

balanced strategic approach for the destination. Similarly a WTO study of over 1600

tourism related plans found that in the majority of plans, profit was given priority over

social aspects and little provision was made for environmental protection (Wilkinson,

1997). A further challenge is that when destinations have been in the growth stages of

the destination life cycle, success has obscured the longer- term view, while a declining

62

destination may have difficulty in justifying the overhead costs of an expensive planning

exercise (Hall, 2000).

Ritchie (1994) attributes many of these challenges to the use of traditional, prescriptive

approaches to strategic planning where the public sector owns the strategy and

determines what is best for the destination. He questions whether such an approach is

suitable and suggests the need for more dynamic and evolutionary approaches such as

destination visioning. This requires the envisioning of a destination image,

communicating it to stakeholders and empowering them to enact on the vision. Moutinho

(2000) and Page and Thorn (1997) also support the need to look to the future and shape it

into a strategic vision. The use of strategic visioning as a destination planning tool is

addressed in Chapter Four.

3.3 Stakeholder Participation as a Contributor to Sustainable Tourism

Stakeholder participation is the second identified prerequisite of the sustainable tourism

planning approach (Caffyn & Jobbins, 2003; Dutton & Hall, 1989; Hall, 2000; Simpson,

2001). Sustainable development objectives hinge on the adoption of a participatory

model, involving the meaningful engagement of the community, along with industry

stakeholders and relevant government agencies in the strategic planning process

(Faulkner, 2003). Originating from the notions of participatory democracy and citizen

empowerment, such an approach sees a move away from government dissemination of

decisions towards ‘bottom up’ planning where a broader base of decision makers

contribute to tourism planning (Simpson, 2001).

3.3.1 Public Participation in Planning

The quest for a greater degree of public participation in planning, policy and decision-

making is considered to be one of the major social movements of the 1950s, 1960s and

early 1970s particularly in countries such as North America and Canada (American

Society of Planning Officials, 1956; Burton 1979; Community Planning Association of

63

Canada, 1966; Draper, 1978; Elder, 1975; Gibson, 1975; Sewell & Phillips, 1979).

Public participation is effectively a component of the democratic system that permits

non-elected members of the community to exercise some control over decisions that

affect their lives (Burton, 1979; Wates, 2000), and is based on the recognition that

citizens are the best judges of their own interests (Brohman, 1996; Thompson, 1970). It

has been viewed as a process of change, growth and learning that builds people’s

confidence, capabilities, skills and ability to cooperate, and as a means of arriving at

decisions more efficiently (Benwell, 1980; Draper, 1978; Wates, 2000; Williams, Penrose

& Hawkes, 1998). Public participation is also credited with creating cohesiveness within

a community and overcoming the problems of centrally formed, top-down policies,

which have been criticised for favouring dominant stakeholders (Elder, 1975; Roberts &

Bradley, 1991; Wates, 2000).

Fagence (1977, p.3) notes, “society dictates that meaningful attempts should be made to

reshape the traditional decision-making processes to accommodate strategies of citizen

participation, and it has attracted high emotional content so that any denial of

opportunities for citizen involvement is challenged as a betrayal of the democratic

tradition”. Two worldviews shape the discussion of public participation- elite democracy

and participatory democracy (Gibson, 1975). Elite democracy theory is primarily

concerned with maintaining a competent and stable government, and public participation

is limited to the election of leaders for public office. In contrast participatory democracy

theory advocates that the purpose of democracy is to ensure that the individuals who will

be affected make decisions, thus requiring collective decision-making leading to an

envisioned future by such individuals (Gibson, 1975). While elite and participatory

democracy may be at opposite poles, public participation is generally not seen as a

replacement of traditional decision-making processes, but as a collaborative partnership

with interaction between traditional planners or elected leaders and the general public.

Godschalk and Mills (1966) note however that this partnership requires both planners to

be open to working with citizens and citizens to be active and competent in planning.

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It seems obvious that such a process will be fraught with impediments. Authors such as

O’Riordan (1978, p.153) claim that mass public participation is idealistic and “in a

representative democracy it is impractical and unnecessary; in a political culture with a

tradition of elitism, it is out of the question”. It is further claimed that participation will

always be a product of the power and value orientations of the dominant political groups

and remains a product of established interests and predominantly under their control

(Dahl, 1961; Lang, 1986; O’Riordan, 1978; Pretty, 1995). In an attempt to maintain

established power decision makers may use token gestures of participation to placate the

public’s desire for participation. Arnstein’s (1969) widely cited model of citizen

participation in decision-making discusses three levels of participation from an illusion of

participation, to various degrees of token participation such as informing, consultation

and placation, to empowerment through partnerships, delegated power and citizen

control.

Figure 3.1: Ladder of Citizen Participation

8. Citizen Control

7. Delegated Power

6. Partnership

5. Placation

4. Consultation

3. Informing

2. Therapy

1. Manipulation

Source: Arnstein, 1969

Aside from power, a range of other impediments to public participation have been

identified including: the type of involvement a member of the general public can actually

have in a participative process; the level and intensity of participation; and, who should

participate in the process and to what extent (Almond & Verba, 1965; Milbrath, 1965;

Degrees of citizen power

Nonparticipation

Degrees of tokenism

65

Mogulof, 1970; Pretty, 1995; Roberts, 1974; Sproule, 1995). Further challenges relate to

the resource requirements and the efficiency of a prolonged and fragmented planning

process (Fagence, 1977; Sewell & Phillips, 1979).

Despite the challenges, Simmons (1994) notes that the public’s right to participate in the

planning of activities that affect their daily lives has become a widely accepted principle

throughout the democratic world. As such the public’s involvement has been sought in

planning for a diverse range of issues including urban development, housing, transport,

energy, parks and recreation, resources management, and regional development. As

tourism has risen in significance and is an industry, which makes such considerable

demands on a community’s resources, it too has faced the call for increased public

scrutiny and involvement (Seekings, 1980; Simmons, 1994). As Murphy (1985, p.172)

states, “public participation as a form of political action has modified existing institutions

and planning procedures to affect social change and environmental preservation, so its

extension to tourism (as an activity so interwoven with community life) becomes

inevitable”.

3.3.2 Community Participation in Tourism Planning

The term community is recognised as contentious and problematic (Bahaire & Elliott-

White, 1999; Capenerhurst, 1994; Dalby & Mackenzie, 1997; Jackson & Morpeth, 1999;

Joppe, 1996; Long, 1991; Long & Glendinning, 1992; Sofield, 2003; Sproule, 1995;

Wilson, 1999), yet for the purposes of this study will be used to refer to the people or

residents of a place where tourism occurs (Burr, 1991; Haywood, 1988; Keogh, 1990;

Murphy, 1985). Community involvement in planning and decision making for tourism

development has become an ideology of tourism planning, akin to the participatory

philosophy outlined previously (Fagence, 1977; Murphy, 1988; Smith, 1977; Tosun &

Timothy, 2003). Participation in tourism planning reputedly originated in Canada as a

result of the difficulties experienced in implementing plans for national parks. These

difficulties occurred as there was little or no interaction between the public and officials,

and planning decisions were seen by the local people as being imposed from the outside

66

(Keogh, 1990; Long & Glendinning, 1992). Further evidence of the need to involve the

public in tourism planning stemmed from the plethora of tourism impact and resident

attitude studies conducted on destination host communities (Allen, Hafer, Long &

Perdue, 1993; Allen, Long, Perdue & Kieselbach, 1988; Belisle & Hoy, 1980; Burns,

1996; Canan & Hennessy, 1989; Davis, Allen & Cosenza, 1988; Dowling, 1993; Doxey,

1975; Faulkner & Tideswell, 1997; Haralambopoulos & Pizam, 1996; Hernandez, Cohen

& Garcia, 1996; Keogh, 1990; King, Pizam & Milman, 1993; Lindberg, Dellaert &

Rassing, 1999; Liu, Sheldon & Var, 1987; Liu & Var, 1986; Madrigal, 1993; Mason &

Cheyne, 2000; Milman & Pizam, 1988; Murphy, 1981; Murphy & Andressen, 1988;

Pearce, Moscardo & Ross, 1996; Pizam, 1978; Prentice, 1993; Sheldon & Abenoja, 2001;

Sheldon & Var, 1984; Smith & Krannich, 1998; Um & Crompton, 1987).

The legacy of an overemphasis on economic benefits, with little attention given to

negative impacts, has led to what has become a well accepted call for the destination

community to be actively involved in the tourism planning and decision making process

(section 3.1.1.4) (Ap, 1992; Blackstock, 2005; Brunt & Courtney, 1999; Cooke, 1982;

Hohl & Tisdell, 1995; McIntyre, 1993; Mitchell & Reid, 2001; Murphy, 1985; Oppitz,

1997; Rosenow & Pulsipher, 1979; Simmons, 1994; Simpson, 2001; Tosun & Timothy,

2003). This is based on several premises including the rationale that if residents have to

endure the negative impacts that tourism brings, they should be given every opportunity

to benefit from the positive impacts, which are generally economic (Haywood, 1988;

Mitchell & Reid, 2001; Woodley, 1993). Further, residents are regarded as the rightful

custodians of an area, and their needs should not be overridden by outside interests (Din,

1993; Marsh & Henshall, 1987; Williams, 2002). As such, overall development goals

and priorities should be identified by residents to alleviate the perception of open-ended

growth and lack of control as it has been found that when host-tourist encounters sour,

the industry has a tendency to deteriorate and negative effects accrue on the community’s

social structure (Capenerhurst, 1994; Cooke, 1982; Costa & Ferrone, 1995; D’Amore,

1983; Din, 1993; Go, Milne & Whittles, 1992; Gunn, 1994; Haywood, 1988; Keogh,

1990; Long & Glendinning, 1992; McIntosh & Goeldner, 1986; Potts & Harrill, 1998;

Richins, 1995; Woodley, 1993). Murphy (1985, p.153) noted that the tourism industry is

67

like no other as “it relies on the goodwill and cooperation of the local people because

they are a component of the destination experiences. Logically if development and

planning are at cross purposes with the wishes of the host community, resistance and

hostility are likely to occur”.

Ritchie (1993) therefore advocates resident responsive tourism, where those who are

affected by tourism development have the opportunity to be involved in the planning and

development processes. Such engagement is necessary so that a true consensus on the

preferred directions of future development, and the actions necessary to achieve this, can

be developed (Faulkner, 2003). Consequently the tourism planning process would

attempt to reinforce positive and mitigate negative impacts by taking into consideration

the needs of both the tourists and the resident population. Such an approach recognises

that the opinions, perspectives and recommendations of non-industry stakeholders are

just as legitimate as those of the planner or the industry ‘expert’. Gunn (1994) similarly

claims that planning is too important to be left to the planners, and that planning must

encompass a wide constituency, with the role of the planner being to bring all of the

divergent parties together and to help them see how their particular interests are involved

in the development of the tourism destination (Go et al, 1992).

3.3.3 Stakeholder Participation in Tourism Planning

Sustainable tourism requires destination planning, development and decision-making to

be cross-sectional and integrated. While the public participatory approaches primarily

advocate the involvement of the community, a sustainable tourism planning approach

requires a wide range of stakeholder participation to be canvassed in relation to future

tourism development (Potts & Harrill, 1998; Ritchie & Jay, 1999; Simpson, 2001; Smith,

1984; Walsh, Jamrozy & Burr, 2001). In the organizational context a stakeholder is

defined as any group or individual that can affect or is affected by the achievement of an

organisation’s objectives and/or anyone who have or believe they have a vested interest

or can claim legitimate ownership and rights in a corporation’s activities (Clarkson, 1995;

Donaldson & Preston, 1995; Freeman, 1999, 1984; Jawahar & McLaughlin, 2001; Jones

68

& Wicks, 1999; Lang, 1986; Starik 1994; Winn, 2001). It is acknowledged in this

context that failing to incorporate participation from all stakeholder groups will result in

the failure of an organization (Clarkson, 1995; Sautter & Leisen, 1999).

Stakeholder theory was pioneered by Freeman (1984), who suggested that an

organization is characterised by its relationships with various groups and individuals;

including employees, customers, suppliers, governments and members of the community.

The underlying premise of stakeholder theory is that firms are required to acknowledge

that stakeholders are persons or groups with legitimate interests in the organization,

which must be recognised whether or not the organization has any interest in the

stakeholder (Donaldson & Preston, 1995; Jones, 1995; Sautter & Leisen, 1999). Freeman

(1984, p.46) notes that, “to be an effective strategist, you must deal with those groups that

can affect you, while to be responsive, you must deal with those groups you can affect”,

and stakeholder theory recognises that various groups can and should have a direct

influence on managerial decision making (Sautter & Leisen, 1999; Timur & Getz, 2002).

Stakeholder theory has been considered a useful approach to address the principles of

sustainable tourism planning (Bramwell & Sharman 1999; Costa, 2001; Gee & Fayos-

Sola, 1997; Roberts & Simpson, 2000; Robinson, 1999; Sadler, 2004; Timur & Getz,

2002; von Friedrichs Grangsjo, 2003).

3.3.3.1 Tourism Destination Stakeholders

As with general business settings, tourism destinations have a variety of stakeholder

groups that must be consulted in all stages of planning and decision-making. The co-

existence of multiple stakeholders is one of the defining characteristics of a tourism

destination, with stakeholders in a destination both competing and collaborating (Aas et

al, 2005; Bramwell & Sharman, 1999; Buhalis & Cooper, 1998; Laws, 1995; Laws et al,

2002; WTO, 2004). These stakeholders may include: the government (international,

national, regional and local); government departments with links to tourism;

international, national, regional and local tourism organizations; tourism developers and

entrepreneurs, tourism industry operators; non-tourism business practitioners, and the

69

community including local community groups, indigenous people’s groups and local

residents (Brown, 1991; Burns, 1998; Farrell, 1986; Freeman 1984; Roberts & Simpson,

2000; Sautter & Leisen, 1999; Simpson, 2001; Wahab & Pigram, 1997). For the

purposes of this study three broad stakeholder groups will be examined: the government,

tourism industry and the resident community of the destination.

The tourism sector unquestionably requires planning and management and this is often

viewed as the responsibility of the relevant government authority of the destination.

Government involvement originally stemmed from an interest in tourism’s economic

advantages, and as Middleton (1974) finds, governments justified their intervention in

tourism to capitalise on the taxes paid by organizations, the indirect taxes paid by visitors

and the employment tourism generated. Government’s have been active in the

development and promotion of towns, regions and countries (Ashworth & Goodall, 1990;

Bramwell, 1994; Charlton & Essex, 2000; Faulkner, 1994; Joppe, 1996; Laws et al, 2002;

Murphy, 1985), but over time, their involvement has extended beyond economic

concerns and revenue generation to address the physical and social ramifications of

tourism activity. As the negative impacts of tourism began to overshadow the positive,

and anti-tourism sentiment grew, government level planning was instigated in an attempt

to control tourism development and mitigate the undesirable socio-economic and

environmental impacts (Inskeep, 1988).

The public sector is generally considered to be the most appropriate body to lead the

move towards developing more sustainable forms of tourism. This is due to the fact that

it usually has a mandate to represent the whole population, not just particular interest

groups or stakeholders; it is seen to be impartial without commercial interests and

because it is not constrained by short term financial objectives it should be able to take a

longer term view (Swarbrooke, 1998). However the government has received numerous

criticisms for its management of the tourism industry. One of the main criticisms is that

governments have imposed top-down planning on the tourism destination and have failed

to adopt truly participative processes (Cooper, 1995; Keogh, 1990; Molotch, 1976;

Murphy, 1985; Reid & Sindiga, 1999). Governments have also received criticism for

70

their lack of will to implement planning and policy, with Vogel and Swanson (1988)

noting that government resources are limited and policies are made incrementally with

little overall direction or coordination and elected officials will often take a short-term

view to get re-elected. Go et al (1992) also see the lack of political will as a common

failing in strategy implementation and claim that this is often the biggest single deterrent

to tourism development, particularly at the community level. Additionally Madrigal

(1995, p.87) finds that “the political organisation of most communities is often dominated

by individuals benefiting either directly from a specific development alternative (property

owners, investors) or indirectly as a result of overall growth (realtors, bankers, property

owners)”, and advocates the need to dismantle the local growth machine in favour of

more participatory planning.

Despite its inefficiencies, the various levels of government are generally recognised as

the best equipped to administer the tourism planning process, particularly when their

comprehensive organisational structure is contrasted with the factional and fragmented

nature of the tourism industry (Simpson, 2001; Timur & Getz, 2002). Akis et al (1996)

also note that some degree of government control may be necessary to prevent too dense

a concentration of development, or the grosser forms of environmental degradation. In

addition, strong leadership is imperative to coordinate the wide range of diverging

concerns, address distorted balances of power, and implement future oriented strategies

(Trousdale, 1999). However, this control should not supersede cooperation and

collaboration with other stakeholder groups.

Local government in particular has a key role to play in tourism destination planning and

management, often because it is at the local level where the impacts of tourism are felt

most acutely and it is the local authority that deals with land use planning (Bouquet &

Winter, 1987; Conlin, 1996; Dredge & Moore, 1992; Farrell, 1986; Godfrey, 1998;

Hunter, 1995; Jackson & Morpeth, 1999; Joppe, 1996; Kemp, 1992; Madrigal, 1995;

McKercher & Ritchie, 1997; Nijkamp & Verdonkschot, 1995; Pearce, 1989; Simmons,

1994; Walzer, Deller, Fossum, Green, Gruidl, Johnson, Kline, Patton, Schumaker &

Woods, 1995). Timothy (1998) claims that planning for tourism development usually

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requires critical, local knowledge, something that is often lacking in large, distant capital

cities among leaders who are less familiar with regional cultures and local conditions.

However local government officials often find themselves in a quandary when it comes

to planning for tourism development because conflicts of interest frequently arise over

how land will be developed (Madrigal, 1995; Williams et al, 1998), with Canan and

Hennessy (1989) noting that conflict generally arises where the local governmental

authority often favours a small elite pro-growth coalition. Additionally local authorities

are not required to look at the wider implications of development outside their boundaries

when making planning decisions and as a result the implications for the regional tourism

product can be ignored, and the view of tourism intrinsically local and internally focused

(Dredge & Moore, 1992).

The private sector operators of the tourism industry are often viewed as the villains in

tourism, due to the perception that they are solely concerned with their profits and as a

result adopt short-term perspectives (Swarbrooke, 1998). The industry has been fortunate

in that most tourism planning has been oriented toward business interests and economic

growth, with the prime motive being commercial and economic gain, both on the part of

the private sector entrepreneurs and governments (Doswell, 1997; Murphy, 1985). As a

result criticisms have been leveled at how the industry develops the physical and tangible

elements of its product and even through to its specific business operations (Mair, Reid &

Taylor, 2000; Swarbrooke, 1998). However despite the criticisms, it is the private sector

that provides the vast majority of infrastructure and services that the tourism destination

relies upon, and in this respect has a significant role to play in the move towards more

sustainable forms of tourism.

Cooperative alliances between public and private sector stakeholders have been cited as

necessary to effectively address development impacts and plan for sustainable tourism

(Fagence, 1996; Jamal & Getz, 2000; Janssen, Kiers & Nijkamp, 1995; Timothy, 1998).

According to Cooper, Fletcher, Gilbert and Wanhill (1993, p.130) “the development of

tourism will not be optimal if it is left in the hands of private sector entrepreneurs, for

they are motivated by profit and loss. However, if tourism development is dominated by

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the public sector then it is unlikely to be developed at the optimal rate from the economic

point of view. Therefore it is imperative that private and public sector involvement in

tourism planning is balanced to ensure a sustainable balance is achieved”. Poetschke

(1995) recognizes that willing and active cooperation between the public and private

sectors is often difficult to achieve due to fundamentally different operating philosophies.

However, this cooperation is vital as the public sector depends on private investors to

provide services and construct tourist facilities, conversely, private investors require

government approval of, and support for, most projects (Timothy, 1998).

The residents of the destination community, as discussed, are considered one of the key

stakeholders in tourism planning and decision-making. This has occurred as politicians,

government officials and tourism entrepreneurs have tended to overemphasise the

economic factors, and overlook the negative environmental and social impacts. It is also

claimed that if residents have to endure the negative impacts that tourism brings, they

should be given every opportunity to benefit from the positive impacts, which are

generally economic (Woodley, 1993). As Simpson (2001) noted, for sustainability to be

achieved local residents must be permitted to identify salient issues of concern; be the

ones to determine the pace and scale of development and the development must coincide

with the community’s aspirations and abilities. However if the community is to be

considered a legitimate stakeholder group, then it requires direct and meaningful

participation in decision-making to engender a sense of ownership over resulting

decisions. With this sense of ownership comes support for its implementation.

Importantly residents who concur with the tourism goals and objectives set for their

region are more likely to be happy with the outcomes which ensue, and the possibility of

sustainable development choices being made will be considerably enhanced (Leslie,

Harrison & Logan, 2000; Murphy, 1988, 1981; Williams et al, 1998).

3.3.4 Stakeholder Collaboration in Tourism Planning

The sustainable approach to tourism planning requires a strategic process incorporating

the participation and involvement of a variety of destination stakeholders. With such a

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variety of stakeholders in strategic planning, the issue of cooperation and collaboration

between these groups becomes critical and can be a major factor in determining the

success of the planning process and ultimately the success of the destination (Minca &

Getz, 1995; Murphy, 1985). Many authors have seen public participation as the key to

successful tourism planning, however it has been said that a collaborative and

cooperative approach, where all stakeholders become party to, and share decision making

responsibility for destination planning is more likely to result in acceptable and

successful policies and programs (Bramwell & Lane, 2000; Brook, 2000, Farrell, 1986;

Gunton & Flynn, 1992; Hall, 1999; Maitland, 2002; Minca & Getz, 1995; Tremblay,

2000a). Collaboration is defined as the pooling of resources (information, labour, etc),

by two or more autonomous stakeholders, to solve a set of problems, which neither can

solve individually (Aldrich, 1976; Gray, 1985). Stakeholders establish these

relationships and interactions to address a common issue or problem domain and engage

in an interactive process to seek solutions, which go beyond their own limited vision of

what is possible (Bramwell & Lane, 2000; Gray, 1989; Gray & Wood, 1991; Selin,

1999). Collaboration is essentially an emergent process where groups learn to manage

their changing environments with joint ownership of decisions and a collective

responsibility for progress (Jamal & Getz, 1995). It can also help stakeholders appreciate

their common interests and realize the advantages to be gained by working together as

opposed to competing with each other (Williams et al, 1998).

Stakeholder collaboration embraces the participative processes recognised as a core

principle of sustainable development, particularly when a wide and representative range

of stakeholders from the local community are able to play an active role and strive

together for common objectives (Caffyn, 2000; Robinson, 1999; Selin, 1999). Achieving

a reasonable degree of consensus on desired directions for tourism development is

considered an important ingredient for long-term success (Ritchie, 1988), and as the

destination community encompasses multiple, interdependent stakeholders who often

hold divergent views on tourism development, collaboration theory is useful for

managing tourism related issues at the destination level (Jamal & Getz, 1995; Reed,

1999). It is also noted that as destination areas grow and the associated problems with

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this increase, government leaders, resource planners and entrepreneurs will be incapable

of dealing with the problem if each acts in isolation (Parker, 1999). According to Getz

and Jamal (1994), collaboration theory offers insights into a dynamic and flexible

process, which provides for joint decision-making through multi-stakeholder involvement

within a temporary or longer-term structure. The process requires direct dialogue among

participating stakeholders, which has the potential to lead to negotiation, shared decision-

making and consensus-building about planning, goals and actions for tourist destinations

(Berkes, 1995; Bramwell & Lane, 2000; Bramwell & Sharman, 1999; Richins, 1995).

It is claimed that the ‘go-it-alone’ policies of the past are giving way, as government and

public agencies in many developed countries endorse stronger cooperation and

collaboration in tourism planning (Bramwell & Lane, 2000; Farrell, 1986; Getz & Jamal,

1994; Gunn, 1988; Jamal & Getz, 1995; Miller, 1987; Potts & Harrill, 1998; Williams et

al, 1998; Woodley, 1993). However others have noted that despite the abundance of

policy statements and documents committing to the approach these examples are still the

exception rather than the rule (Brook, 2000; Selin & Beason, 1991; Woodley, 1993).

3.3.4.1 Challenges of Broad Based Stakeholder Participation and

Collaboration

Although the concepts of broad based stakeholder participation in tourism planning has

been widely advocated in the literature, there have been a number of criticisms about the

viability of such an approach (Haywood, 1988; McCaffrey, Faerman & Hart, 1995;

Taylor, 1995). Community participation in tourism planning has been described as naïve,

unnecessary, unwieldy, time consuming and an idealistic dream (Haywood, 1988;

Tremblay, 2000a). The approach has been criticised for its financial costs, time frame,

the dilution of power and loss of control over matters previously internal to the industry,

the need for education as communities are not equipped to assess and understand tourism

development potential, and their apathy towards participation (Almond & Verba, 1965;

Blank, 1989; Cole, 1997; Cooper & Hawtin, 1997; de Kadt, 1979; Din, 1993; Douglas,

1989; Federspiel, 1991; Haywood, 1988; Inskeep, 1991; Jackson & Morpeth, 1999;

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Jenkins, 1993; Krippendorf, 1982; Long, 1991; Madrigal, 1995; McIntyre, 1993;

Trousdale, 1999; Vogel & Swanson, 1988; Weaver, 2006; Woodley, 1993).

As with public participation generally, one of the greatest impediments to participation in

tourism planning is that it is often a token gesture. A number of studies have found that

even where public participation has occurred, tourism planning goals have remained

centred on commercial interests and community involvement has been little more than

tokenism (Bahaire & Elliott-White, 1999; Hall, 1998; Long & Glendinning, 1992;

Timothy, 1999; Wall, 1996). Joppe (1996) attributes this to politicians feeling the

process threatens their power, as broad based participation and collaboration can alter the

power of ‘traditional power holders’ (Blank, 1989; Kelly, 2001). Power can be seen as

the ability of a party to impose its will on the relationship (Mitchell, Agle & Wood,

1997), and traditional power holders are often seen as retaining their influence over key

decisions and dictating the agenda for development (Reed, 1997). Planning traditionally

implies a superior-inferior set, with the superior element being able to plan and impose its

will upon the rest of the system (Blank, 1989; Robinson, 1999). Participation may be

rationed out to groups but it is done so in the knowledge that the status quo of power is

not threatened (Dye, 1986; Jackson & Morpeth, 1999; Melbeck, 1998; Reid & Sindiga,

1999). In such cases participation can be limited to collecting the opinions of

stakeholders, which is largely a one-way consultation process with little direct dialogue

between the stakeholders and planners (Evans, Fox & Johnson, 1995; Medeiros de Arajo

& Bramwell, 1999; Sofield, 2003).

The planning process is highly political and gaining consensus on a rational,

comprehensive, long-range tourism plan may be impossible given the divergent interests

of the various sectors of a community (Choy, 1991). Bahaire and Elliott-White (1999,

p.246) claim that “community involvement, or public participation, in planning remains

an ambiguous concept but is fundamentally about degrees of citizen power and influence

within the policy-making process”. Other authors have noted that there are naïve

assumptions that the planning and policy process is a pluralistic one in which people have

equal access to economic and political resources (Joppe, 1996; Reed, 1997). Therefore

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Getz and Jamal (1994, p.154) argue that it is important to “reconceptualise tourism

planning and development as a political process” involving a variety of stakeholders

trying to achieve a consensus of objectives.

A further challenge is that it is often assumed that local authorities are appropriate to

convene power relations, as they will be neutral arbiters in the land development process.

However this is often not the case as the local government usually has a disproportionate

influence and degree of power over the process (Reed, 1997; Simpson, 2001). In Reed’s

(1997) study of power relations it was found that there were a variety of competing

visions for tourism development, struggles over who should make decisions and the

traditional power elite used different kinds of tactics to influence the efforts of

collaboration and to retain their power base. However it was found that through the

commitment of citizen participants, the plan for the development of tourism introduced a

much broader vision of community aspiration than would have otherwise been possible

(Reed, 1997).

3.4 Chapter Three Summary

The concept of sustainability has had a considerable impact on the philosophy of tourism

destination planning. This chapter has examined the identified prerequisites of a

sustainable approach to tourism planning: a strategic orientation towards tourism

planning and enhanced levels of multiple stakeholder participation in the tourism

planning process (Simpson, 2001). The concepts of strategic planning and stakeholder

participation, while evolving from two distinct and substantial theoretical underpinnings

have become interdependent in attempts to achieve sustainable tourism development.

Sustainability not only requires destination planners and managers to engage in strategic

planning as a means of ensuring that tourism’s benefits are equitably distributed between

all stakeholders, but these stakeholder groups must be empowered to participate in the

process (Eligh et al, 2002; Faulkner, 2003; Harrison & Husbands, 1996; Lankford &

Lankford, 2000; Page & Thorn, 2002; Wall, 1997). While stakeholder participation in

strategic planning is not without its challenges, the inherent difficulties should not

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impede the integration of these concepts into the tourism destination planning process.

Both concepts must be utilised effectively to ensure a sustainable approach to tourism

planning is adopted.

One planning approach, which is increasingly receiving attention for its combination of

strategic planning and stakeholder participation, is strategic visioning. Visioning

approaches to tourism planning have been cited as a means of facilitating destination

stakeholders participation in the strategic planning process, while engaging in a longer-

term planning exercise (Ayers, 1996; Getz & Jamal, 1994; Haywood, 1988; Johnson &

Snepenger, 1993; Kotler, 1993; Mair et al, 2000; Richins, 1995; Ritchie, 1993; Ritchie &

Jay, 1999; Woodley, 1993). The visioning approach to tourism destination planning and

its potential contribution to sustainability is discussed in Chapter Four.

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Chapter Four

Strategic Visioning: A Planning Approach for Sustainable Tourism?

4.0 Introduction

Visioning is a recognized component of the traditional organizational strategic planning

process. An extension of this concept, the notion of strategic visioning, is increasingly

being viewed as a planning approach which has applications to the tourism destination

planning context. Ritchie (1993) finds that while strategic visioning for tourism

destinations is a new but important extension of the more common process of strategic

planning in tourism, it has a stronger emphasis on bringing together the views of the

many organisations and individuals of both the industry and the destination community

through collaborative and participative processes. It is also seen as a dynamic and

interactive approach as opposed to the more rigid steps of traditional strategic planning

(Westley & Mintzberg, 1989).

This chapter introduces the concept of strategic visioning for tourism destinations.

Firstly the private sector origins of visioning as a component of the traditional strategic

planning process are examined. The extension of this concept to the notions of learning

organizations and shared vision are also discussed, as well as the use of visioning in

community settings. Finally the use of strategic visioning in tourism destinations is

examined and the contribution of the approach to sustainable tourism planning is

discussed.

4.1 The Strategic Visioning Concept

Vision is recognized as an important component of the strategic planning process

(Chapter Three). Vision is defined as a practical and achievable picture or description of

the nature of an organization’s business as it is intended to be at some time in the future.

Ideally, the vision should move people to come together in an alignment of purpose and

provide a point from which strategic plans are developed (Hussey, 1999; Korac-

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Kakabadse & Kakabadse, 1998; Nanus, 1992; Wolf & Gering, 1998). It is essentially a

future goal that the organization is striving towards (Hunt & Buzan 1999), and has been

described by some as the glue that binds individuals together into a common goal

(Hackett & Spurgeon, 1996). Nutt and Backoff (1997) note that a vision should be

depicted as providing a vivid and reachable target that beckons- it should be a picture that

inspires and builds a commitment to change in people.

While vision, along with mission statements and goals and objectives, have been

associated with strategic planning for some time, the process of vision development is

receiving increasing attention, with approaches such as ‘visioning’ recognised as a means

of managing increasingly complex organisations (Westley & Mintzberg, 1989). Vogel

and Swanson (1988) note that strategic planning methodologies are being revised to

include a visioning phase, as leaders are recognising the importance of thinking about the

future, developing goals and coming up with realistic strategies to achieve those goals.

Ayers (1996) actually claims that the visioning approach is the new best practice in

strategic planning, and this concept is supported by Faulkner (2003), Ritchie (1999) and

Ritchie and Crouch (2000), among others. The feasibility of such claims is examined in

chapters eight and nine.

Critics of formal planning argue that we live in a world in which uncertainty, complexity

and ambiguity dominate and in which small chance events can have a large and

unpredictable impact upon outcomes (Langeler, 1992; Westley & Mintzberg, 1989). In

such an environment even the most carefully thought out strategic plans are prone to

being rendered useless by rapid and unforseen changes in the environment, and

consequently there is a premium on being able to respond quickly to changing

circumstances, altering the strategies of the organisation accordingly. It has been claimed

that such a flexible approach to strategy making is not possible within the framework of

the traditional strategic planning process (Brache & Freedman, 1999; Westley &

Mintzberg, 1989). Mintzberg (1994) notes that the visionary approach is more flexible as

it sets the broad outlines of a strategy, while leaving the specific details to be worked out.

In other words, the broad perspective may be deliberate but the specific positions can

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emerge. So when the unexpected happens, assuming the vision is sufficiently robust, the

organisation can adapt- it learns and change is more easily accommodated (Mintzberg,

1994).

Ritchie (1993) draws on the work of Mintzberg to distinguish between the strategic

planning and visioning processes. At one end of the spectrum is the traditional

prescriptive model of strategic planning, where planning is mechanical, formal, highly

structured, logical, and controlled and an exercise for which the chief executive is

ultimately responsible. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the concept of crafting

strategy through a shared strategic vision. This is seen as a dynamic, evolving process in

which strategies develop over a period of time as a result of an ongoing and iterative

process of thinking and acting. However to ensure the effective development and

execution, Koteen (1991) claims that the vision must be compelling and satisfying, pose

clearly stated challenges, offer guideposts on uncertain terrain and commitment for

implementation. Hunt and Buzan (1999) further note that the vision must be achievable,

inspiring, short and visual, while Christenson and Walker (2004) state that the vision

must be: understood, motivational, credible, and both demanding and challenging. It

must also capture the core purpose of the organization and its preferred future state, and

create possibilities that are inspirational, creative, unique, and vibrant, and that offer a

new order that can produce organizational distinction (Nutt & Backoff, 1997).

A considerable amount of attention has been given to the issue of vision and visionary

leadership. Vision has often been viewed as the capacity and responsibility of the leader

of the organization (Hunt & Buzan 1999; Westley, 1992) based on the assumption that

power and control resides with the leader (Bennis & Nanus, 1985; Brache & Freedman,

1999; Frisch, 1998; Gupta, 1984; Hendry, Johnson & Newton, 1993; Levin, 2000; Nanus,

1992). It has been said that a vision is an image that is created in the mind of the leader

(Shipley & Newkirk, 1998; Thoms & Greenberger, 1998) and under this scenario the

vision is a target towards which the leader aims their energy and resources (Hackett &

Spurgeon, 1996; Peg & Greenberger, 1998; Senge et al, 1994; Stewart, 1993). Here the

vision is disseminated through the organization, with the leader empowering others to

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fulfill the vision, and followers reacting positively when it reflects their values, shows an

ideal future, and provides direction for future behaviour (Christenson & Walker, 2004;

Nutt & Backoff, 1992; Thoms & Greenberger, 1998).

However a divergent body of thought has emerged noting that a successful vision

depends on the participation of many people, and that leaders should only act as

facilitators where the vision is built from the collective ideas of those in the organization

(Covey, 1990; Kelley, 1992; Westley, 1992). Shipley and Newkirk (1998) also note that

the emerging use of the term ‘strategic vision’ changes the concept of vision from being

the special view of either a single visionary or select group of leaders to the goal-like

statements that serve as the focus for long-range or strategic plans. Here vision is no

longer as amorphous as it had been when attributed to visionaries or ascribed, and it

begins to acquire the status and acceptability of a formal planning technique (Shipley &

Newkirk, 1998).

This process of empowerment calls for leaders to share the vision creation process with

other people in the organization (Barnes & Kriger, 1986; Kelley, 1992; Kouzes & Posner,

1987; Wheeland, 1993). The level of genuinely empowered and positive interaction

between organization leaders and followers (or organization stakeholders) is said to have

a direct impact upon the quality of the vision (Christenson & Walker, 2004). It is further

believed that a representative group of stakeholders will be better positioned than a

charismatic leader to develop the vision because of the wider experience, diversity of

knowledge and perspective and fuller appreciation of stakeholder constituencies

(Christenson & Walker, 2004). Applications of visioning to public sector organizations

rely in particular on a collective approach to vision development. Nutt and Backoff

(1992) note that a vision detailing the future can generate commitment from key

stakeholders, which is essential for public sector organizations. It is further noted that as

such organizations operate without the feedback provided by profits and losses, their

need for vision is more acute (Kilpatrick & Silverman, 2005).

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A ‘vision orientation’ has been credited as being a large factor in organizational success

(Collins & Porras, 1997; Koteen, 1991) and the wider the involvement of people in vision

creation, the greater the prospect of improvements in organizational performance

(Hackett & Spurgeon, 1996; Kakabadese, Nortier & Abramovici, 1998; Nutt & Backoff,

1997). Kirkpatrick and Locke (1996) found that the existence of an organizational vision

had a positive impact on employee performance and attitudes, while Baum, Locke and

Kirkpatrick (1998) discovered that having a vision positively affected organization-level

performance as measured by growth in sales, profits, employment and net worth.

Kilpatrick and Silverman (2005) claim that investing in a vision can pay dividends

beyond just keeping the organization focused. They note that one benefit of developing

an organizational vision is the ease of performance measurement, making it easier to

track successes and identify early warning signs of ineffective programs. Clear visions

can also highlight gaps in talent, funds, and facilities (Kilpatrick & Silverman, 2005).

However Nutt and Backoff (1997) reinforce that the greatest organizational successes

will arise when the vision is developed with ideas drawn from many people.

4.1.1 Shared Vision and the Learning Organization

Considered to be the organizational concept of the future (Flood, 1999), Peter Senge’s

(1990) ‘fifth discipline’ account of the learning organization links the notion of shared

vision with the broader aspects of the strategic planning process. The learning

organization is based on the transition from an individualist to a more collective

orientation, within the framework of a more structured, systematic and strategically

focused approach (Faulkner, 2003). The learning organization is based on systemic

theory, which purports that our actions are interrelated to other people’s actions in

patterns of behaviour and are not merely isolated events (Flood, 1999). As such,

systemic thinking takes issue with the grand narratives of strategic planners who believe

that with intention they can create a better future; “in their reports they innocently indulge

in fictional script writing…. it could happen for all we know, but it seems most unlikely”

(Flood, 1999, p.2). Flood (1999) likens this to complexity theory questioning whether

long term intended action is possible based on the assumption that the way things unfold

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is inherently unknowable to the human mind, emerging through spontaneous self-

organisation originating from some distant detail, rather than advanced planning.

Senge (1990) claims that the core of the learning organization is based upon five

disciplines: personal mastery, mental models, shared vision, team learning, and systems

(systemic) thinking. Personal mastery involves expanding our personal capacity to create

the results we most desire, and creating an organizational environment that encourages all

its members to develop themselves toward the goals and purposes they choose. The

second of the disciplines, mental models, refers to the continual process of reflecting

upon, clarifying, and improving one’s internal pictures of the world, and how they shape

our actions and decisions. Shared vision is the third aspect of the learning organization

which requires building a sense of commitment in a group, by developing shared images

of the future to be created, and developing the principles and guiding practices to reach

the future state. Following this, team learning involves transforming conversational and

collective thinking skills, so that groups of people can reliably develop intelligence and

ability greater than the sum of individual members’ talents. The final element of the

learning organization, systems thinking, refers to a way of thinking about, describing and

understanding, the forces and interrelationships that shape the behaviour of systems.

Systems thinking assists in seeing how to change systems more effectively, and how to

act more in tune with the larger processes of the natural and economic world (Senge et al,

1994).

The third of the disciplines, shared vision, is the most pertinent to the current study.

Senge et al (1994) claim that leaders are seeking to achieve the commitment and focus

that comes with genuinely shared visions. The shared vision discipline is essentially

focused around creating a sense of purpose and building shared meaning to bind people

together and propel them to fulfil their aspirations. Shared vision refers to the collective

pictures the people throughout the organization carry, and are committed to, as they are

created from each person’s personal intrinsic vision (Senge, 1990). It entails operating

values, having a common sense of purpose, and a basic level of mutuality as it extends

insights and principles from personal mastery into a world of collective aspiration and

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shared commitment (Flood, 1999). Shared vision can also provide a focus and energy for

generative learning, expanding an organization’s capacity to create its own future, rather

than be created by the events of the moment (Flood, 1999). Importantly, strategic

priorities are developed from, and clearly linked to, the shared vision (Senge et al, 1994).

While Senge does not offer a prescriptive account on how shared vision should be

generated, it is noted that it is developmental and constructed from a coherent process of

reflection and conversation. Senge et al (1994) actually note that it is most important to

focus on the dialogue, and not just the vision statement, as the process is more important

than the product. This is because the task involves an evolving ongoing process in which

people at every level of the organisation, in every role, can speak on what really matters

to them, and should be heard by both senior management and one another. This moves

the generation of vision from telling to co-creating. Telling refers to the traditional view

of vision with those at the top believing they know what the vision should be and telling

the organisation they are going to have to follow it. People do what they are told either

because they think that those at the top know best, or simply believe they have no other

choice. There is little generative learning. Co-creating, on the other hand, is a

widespread and collaborative process where a shared vision is built around generative

learning. The communication of ideas gathers pace and the vision becomes increasingly

clear, leading to rising enthusiasm (Senge et al, 1994). Having gone through the

frustration and ultimate satisfaction of creating a shared vision, it is believed stakeholders

become more devoted to building shared vision and shared meaning (Senge et al, 1994).

Team learning, the fourth of Senge’s disciplines, is seen as a natural step from a shared

vision effort as collective aspiration gives team members a compelling reason to begin to

learn how to learn together. Senge et al (1994) claim that teams are now recognised as a

critical component of every enterprise and the predominant unit for decision making and

getting things done. As with building shared vision, team learning requires both

discussion and dialogue. Discussion is defined by Senge (1990) as communication where

different views are presented and defended in a search for a best view to support a

decision that must be made. Dialogue is where people suspend their views and enter into

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deep listening in the sense that the listener visits and explores mental models of other

team members (Senge, 1990). Discussion and dialogue are necessary counterparts in a

quest for achieving consensus and accommodation on decisions in team learning (Flood,

1999). Consensus is based on the idea that people can or will form strong agreement on

what needs to be done and how to do it. Consensus is seen as the linchpin of traditional

planning, decision-making and problem solving (Flood, 1999). However the notion of

consensus is increasingly recognised as unlikely and is considered as contributing to

oppression and reducing diversity of thought. Flood (1999) believes it will be more

realistic to seek to establish accommodation between people due to the inherent diversity

in opinions, attitudes and preferences. Seeking accommodation can be likened to finding

some common ground whilst preserving other differences in opinion (Flood, 1999).

While the learning organization has been widely supported (Garavan, 1997; Garvin,

1993; Marquardt, 1996; Simonin, 1997; Tsang, 1997; Watkins & Marsick, 1993), as with

other forms of collaboration and broader based participation (Chapter Three), there are

inherent challenges. Shared sense of purpose is seen by Senge et al (1994) as often tacit

and obscured by conventional day-to-day practices, the prevailing organizational culture,

and the barriers of the organization’s structure. Flood (1999) notes that one possible

limiting factor comes into play as more people become involved. Although a certain

amount of shared vision is achieved, the more people who are involved, the greater the

potential for a diversity of views which can dissipate focus and may generate conflict

(Senge et al, 1994). Furthermore, it is possible for people to forget their connection to

one another and that they are part of a whole, which moves the approach from one of

joint inquiry to one of individuals in conflict (Flood, 1999). A further challenge is that

people may see a gap between the shared vision and how things actually are, which can

give rise to negative feelings eroding the goals of the shared vision (Flood, 1999). Such

challenges are considered in the development of the strategic visioning framework

proposed in this study (Chapter Eight).

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4.2 Applications of Strategic Visioning to Community Planning

Stemming from the public participatory movements (Chapter Three), the principles of

strategic visioning have also been extended to the field of community planning (Shipley

& Newkirk, 1998; Walzer & Deller, 1996; Walzer et al, 1995). In this context strategic

visioning aims to establish a long-term vision of what the community can be and achieve

in the long run (Kotler et al, 1993). Communities’ use strategic visioning as a process not

only to identify their desired future, but also to regain control over issues that affect the

community. As Ritchie (1993, p.29) notes, “one of the most compelling forces that has

emerged in recent years is the desire of peoples all over the world to recapture control of

the political processes that affect their daily lives”. Senge et al (1994, p.504) claim,

“every individual deserves the opportunity to be seen and heard as a valuable person who

can contribute to the community”, and based on the learning organization philosophy,

traditional leaders learn how to share decision-making power and support residents

working in self-managed teams. As with public participatory processes and empowered

citizen decision-making, strategic visioning is a form of bottom-up, grass roots

collaboration, which reverses the role of conventional community strategic planning and

management structures. Klein, Benson, Andersen, Herr, Plumb and Davis (1993, p.10)

note, “visioning is a tool for broadening citizen participation, and is thus winning new

constituents for planning”.

In this context visioning has been associated with utopianism and a desire to create a

better or even perfect society (Shipley & Newkirk, 1998). As McClendon (1993, p.147)

notes, “the new paradigm is empowering people’s vision of a better tomorrow”, and

visioning a community’s future urban development plans is the latest iteration of citizen

involvement (Shipley & Newkirk, 1998). In community based applications, strategic

visioning occurs through public involvement; where a group of people proactively seek to

identify their purpose, core values and vision of the future, which are then transformed

into a manageable and feasible set of goals, action plans and/or strategies (Department of

Rural Sociology, nd; Embar, 1995; Stewart, Liebert & Larkin, 2004). The Utah Travel

Council (1998) notes that every successful business, organization or individual has a plan

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for the future and communities are no different. If nothing else, a community needs to

agree on a shared vision of what it wants to become (Utah Travel Council, 1998). The

importance of community values is recognised in initiatives such as LA21 (Chapter

Two), where it is noted that consultation with various stakeholders is needed in order to

create a shared vision and to identify proposals and priorities for action. The Local

Government Association of Queensland’s (2001) guidelines for integrating community

well being into planning also state that a knowledge of the issues that are of concern to,

and motivate a community, provide a sound basis from which to develop a future vision.

Community visioning is characterised by an emphasis on community assets, weighing up

the options and opportunities on the basis of shared purposes and values, with the process

stressing early and continuous public involvement (Department of Rural Sociology, nd).

A key to this process is that goals and action plans are firmly rooted in the purpose and

values of the local community. It is for this reason that strategic visioning is considered

of particular benefit for communities; as it allows for the creation of a future of choice,

rather than the alternative: the future of someone else’s creation (Bryson, 1995).

For strategic visioning to be successful in a community context, a high level of

participation is required, obviously making the process far more complex than developing

a vision within a single firm (Helling, 1998; Kotler, 1993; Ritchie, 1993). Strategic

visioning for communities specifically seeks to consider as many options as possible, to

search for a broad cross section of participants and wherever possible seek divergent

opinions. The purpose being to develop a cooperative, integrated, and democratically

derived consensus into a single vision, which will determine the long-term strategies for

the future. Acknowledged as a complicated way to achieve a strategic approach,

consensus is considered the only way to gain buy-in for the vision, as plans that resonate

with citizens’ deepest aspirations and values have the best chance of being implemented

(Embar, 1995; Klein et al, 1993). Without a vision that connects people with each other

and to the places of their local landscape, the desirable end-state planning is left

incomplete and opportunities for community building through civic debate are lost.

Resulting plans will be disproportionately devoted to infrastructure development details,

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without due attention given to community identities that would distinguish one locale

from another (Stewart et al, 2004).

4.2.1 Community Strategic Visioning Models

Although the technical details of ‘how to’ are not part of the visioning process (Stewart et

al, 2004), a number of strategic visioning models have been developed for community

applications (Appendix Four). The Department of Rural Sociology (nd) overview several

of these. The ‘Oregon model’ includes four basic steps: a community profile (where are

we now?), a trend statement (where are we going?), a vision statement (where do we

want to be?), and an action plan (how do we get there?). The Oregon model also

suggests a target year to be chosen that is at least ten, but no more than 25 years in the

future. The ‘Pennsylvania model’ proposes a series of questions to stimulate the vision

including: “what five things would really improve the community?”, “what are the

community’s principal values?”, and “what things in the community should be

preserved?”. This particular process is broken into five tasks: defining the community

boundaries, inventorying and analysing community resources, writing and adopting a

vision statement, developing an action plan, and implementation. The ‘Arkansas model’

focuses on four basic questions: “where have you been?”, where are you now?”, “where

do you want to go?”, and “how will you get there?”. Participants are asked to identify

what they would like to see in their community in the future, and they may be prompted

in specific areas such as economic development, education, parks and recreation, etc.

Walzer et al (1995) reviewed ten visioning programs to identify similarities and

differences in program design. They found that the basic principles of community

strategic visioning programs are similar to those used in the organizational context and

documented in the business management literature. In the first stage, the visioning

programs help guide the formation of a diverse leadership group to take primary local

responsibility for community efforts. The second stage facilitates a series of meetings

during which the community’s situation is assessed and alternative visions are developed

and refined into a plan. At this point the meetings generally result in a statement of

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vision, goals and tasks for the community to undertake as well as the identification of

priority goals and action strategies. The third identified stage is the implementation of

the vision and action strategies (Walzer et al, 1995). The review further found that

although each of the visioning programs were different, two key common characteristics

for success could be identified. These included local leaders and residents having a clear

understanding of the visioning process and its limitations, particularly the commitment

and effort required to make the program a success. Secondly, a well-balanced

community team of stakeholders is necessary, noting that ignoring segments of the

community will limit the perspective of the team and preclude interesting and productive

ideas, in addition to the fact that if the program participants are not representative the

community may not embrace the vision and resulting strategies (Walzer et al, 1995).

4.3 Applications of Strategic Visioning to Tourism Destination Planning

The participation of the community in tourism and tourism planning is not a new

phenomenon (Chapter Three). As Ritchie (1993, p.379) notes,

“Increasingly, along with all important industry sectors, tourism is being

critically assessed concerning its net contribution to the well being of the

community or region which it both serves and impacts on. As part of this

process, the residents of communities and regions affected by tourism are

demanding to be involved in the decisions affecting their development”.

As with applications to community settings more generally, the strategic visioning

approach to tourism planning, or ‘destination visioning’, has been identified as a

mechanism for residents and other stakeholders to become involved in setting the agenda

of their destination (Mair et al, 2000). Destination visioning is considered a new but

important extension of the more common process of strategic planning in tourism

(Ritchie, 1993). In this context the process has a number of unique elements, and similar

to community applications, visioning for tourism destinations involves bringing together

the views of the many organizations and individuals of both the industry and the

destination community. As Haywood (1988) notes, there is a focus on the evaluation of

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alternatives, the estimation of probabilities and the determination of the consequences or

impacts of a particular tourism project or event. By focusing on perceptions of the future,

participants in the planning process can learn to paint appropriate images of tourism for

their communities (Haywood, 1988).

While the direction for future tourism destination development is implicit in strategic

planning, the underlying philosophy of strategic destination visioning is to nurture

appropriate forms of development, through a publicly driven process based on

stakeholder values and consensus, rather than through a more “expert-driven” process

based solely on market forces (Ritchie & Crouch, 2000). Strategic visioning for tourism

destinations essentially formulates a framework, which provides broad guidelines as to

the kinds of major facilities, events, and programs that the community finds most

consistent with their values and aspirations for the long term development and well being

of the community (Ritchie, 1993). The vision developed for a destination will define the

nature of long term major developments, many of which are irreversible, so the choice of

vision is absolutely critical, as it will set in motion the development of the destination for

many years to come (Ritchie, 1993; Ryan, 2002).

Faulkner (2003) in a comprehensive discussion of the application of visioning principles

to a tourism destination context identifies a number of contributions vision can make to

the process of shaping a destination’s future. The first of these is that a vision provides a

framework for choosing appropriate responses and for cooperative action. External

events including changes in government policy, international development and random

disasters have the potential to profoundly impact the destination and the direction of

tourism development. While destination stakeholders may have little control over these

events, a long-term shared perspective (a vision) is necessary for not only determining

how they respond, but also for ensuring they respond in a coordinated and effective way.

A second identified contribution is that without a vision, the destination will become

locked into the past. That is, an incremental approach where decision-makers focus on

responding to immediate contingencies in a piecemeal fashion, leading the destination to

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a position where the options available for coping with longer-term eventualities are

progressively reduced.

A vision also provides a means for ensuring that a longer-term perspective informs day-

to-day decisions (Faulkner, 2003). By creating a more structured, strategically focused

and shared framework for individual enterprises and organizations to operate within, a

vision contributes to ensuring that decision-makers at all levels take longer-term

considerations into account in their daily decisions. A further identified benefit is that a

well designed visioning exercise has the potential to provide a circuit breaker and a call

to action, to the extent that it can be instrumental in galvanising opinion on the need for a

fundamentally different approach from that which has prevailed in the past. Finally, a

well-articulated vision that has been constructed in a manner that ensures it represents a

consensus among primary stakeholders provides a focus for the strategic planning

process and a vehicle for mobilising cooperative action (Faulkner, 2003).

Ritchie & Crouch (2000) acknowledge that developing consensus on a shared ‘ideal

future state’ for a destination is not always easy within diverse, democratic societies.

However what is important is that destination stakeholders agree that the final vision

statement provides both a meaningful and operational ‘dream’ for the future of their

destination- one that reflects the values of the destination stakeholders, while not ignoring

the realities and constraints of the marketplace (Ritchie & Crouch, 2000). It follows that

the meaningful engagement of the community, with industry stakeholders and relevant

public sector agencies, is an essential ingredient in the visioning process. Such

engagement of stakeholders is essential if the vision that eventuates is to provide an

accurate reflection of a truly shared position of all concerned and if it is to provide a

relatively stable reference point for future action (Faulkner, 2003).

Notions of destination visioning also resonate with the collaborative approaches to

tourism planning (Chapter Three) as the visioning process can provide a catalyst for

establishing collaboration among the multiple stakeholders (Faulkner, 2003; Getz &

Jamal, 1994). Bramwell and Lane (2000) note that one of the primary objectives of

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collaborative arrangements is to develop a strategic vision or plan for a destination, as

collaboration is a process through which parties who see different aspects of a problem

can constructively explore their differences for solutions that go beyond their own limited

vision of what is possible (Gray, 1989). Ayers (1996) also considers strategic visioning

to be an exercise in collaboration and consensus, as the process addresses issues which

are complex, where many parties are involved in the resolution, no one agency or

organisation has complete jurisdiction over the solution, and there are alternative

solutions requiring both creativity and negotiation.

4.3.1 Strategic Tourism Destination Visioning in Practice

Although not as numerous as community specific visioning examples, or indeed studies

of strategic tourism planning, Ritchie and Crouch (2000) claim that more destinations are

adopting a strategic perspective toward tourism development involving visioning. Getz

and Jamal (1994) support this claiming that studies are emerging where strategic

visioning for tourism destinations is being used as an extension of traditional strategic

planning approaches. Calgary, Canada is recognised as the first destination to use the

visioning process in the early 1990s in an attempt to provide both direction and support

for future tourism development (Ritchie, 1993). Ritchie (1999) reports on the use of

visioning in a national heritage setting, Banff National Park, Canada, where the various

stakeholder groups sought to identify the environmental, economic and social future of

the park. Johnson and Snepenger (1993) also outline the use of a visioning process with

park and forest managers of the Greater Yellowstone Region designed to improve the

management of the region.

Additionally, a number of tourism destination planning studies are emerging claiming the

need for a visioning approach. Woodley’s (1993) study of community based tourism

development found that a significant barrier was the lack of vision. In the case study

projects were initiated by the territorial government without the benefit of an overall

vision for the future of the community and without any consultation on the cumulative

effects of developing numerous individual facilities. The results of a study conducted by

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Getz and Jamal (1994) concluded that the creation of a communal strategic vision is an

important aspect of strategic planning and found that respondents supported the necessity

of developing a strategic vision. While these studies cite the importance of visioning,

none have yet looked at how the visioning process should be undertaken.

In the Australian context, a comprehensive visioning project was implemented for the

Gold Coast region to determine a preferred future for the destination. The Gold Coast

Visioning Project was a three year project undertaken and funded jointly by the Gold

Coast City Council, the Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism and the

local tourism industry (Chapter Seven). The Gold Coast has traditionally been one of

Australia’s most popular international and domestic tourism destinations. However the

Gold Coast has grown and flourished in a relatively benign regulatory regime, which has

fostered a combative enterprise mentality driven by market forces and a fiercely

competitive business culture with a fixation on profit generation and economic objectives

at the expense of other elements of the sustainable tourism agenda (Faulkner, 2003). A

range of indicators proposed by Faulkner (2003) highlighted the destination was facing

decline: emphasis on high-volume, low yield inclusive tour market and mass tourists; a

decline in visitors length of stay; the destination is well known, but no longer

fashionable; diversification into conventions, conferences, and man made attractions;

market perceptions of the destination becoming over-commercialised, and declining

profits of major tourism businesses. Faulkner (2003, p.43) therefore concluded that the

Gold Coast was a mature destination showing some early signs of stagnation, paralleling

the experience of coastal tourist resorts elsewhere in the world and that,

“…given this, it is clear that a fundamental shift in the approach to

destination planning and management is necessary if the region is to

rejuvenate and remain competitive in the longer term. However,

regardless of the stage the destination has reached the pressures of an

increasingly competitive global environment point to the necessity of a

more comprehensive approach that embraces sustainable development

principles as a framework for tourism development”.

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The impetus for employing a strategic visioning approach for the Gold Coast was to

examine the impacts and opportunities of sustainable tourism for the community, while

creating a more strategic perspective towards tourism policy, planning, development and

marketing (Appendix Five). Faulkner and Noakes (2002, p.i) report that,

“The Gold Coast Tourism Visioning Project articulates a set of core

values and principles that underpin a preferred future for the sustainable

prosperity of Australia’s leading tourism destination in the medium to

longer term (10 to 20 years). It challenges destination Gold Coast to

move from a past ad hoc approach to tourism to one that integrates

economic, social and environmental dimensions to evolve new patterns of

managing and growing tourism in a more systematic and dynamic way in

this new century. Tourism is a key component of the inevitable transition

to sustainable development strategies in advanced western democracies

such as Australia”.

A strategic visioning program such as the Gold Coast’s can provide a systematic and

practical means for encouraging stakeholders to collaborate on issues affecting the future

of their destination. The Gold Coast model used the creation of a vision, in the format of

a visioning workshop, as a means of engaging stakeholders in decision-making and

setting the foundations for strategic planning in the destination.

In describing the Gold Coast’s visioning project, Faulkner (2003) concurs with Senge’s

view of the learning organization and notes that a vision provides a catalyst for building

collective memory and initiating an organizational learning system at the destination

level. An investment in a visioning process, with the associated planning and evaluation

systems, avoids the need to think through every crisis situation from scratch. Such an

approach not only creates a readiness for the unexpected, but also facilitates the transition

from individual insights to collective action, and establishes an institutional learning and

memory system that reduces the prospects of repeating past mistakes and/or reinventing

the wheel. At the destination level, learning would become embedded within the

organizational structure and would become integral to the planning and management

process, rather than, as is too often the case, a marginal activity restricted to a few

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specialist researchers (Faulkner, 2003). As Faulkner notes, much of the analysis and

planning that has posed as a strategic approach to destination management in the past has

involved a reductionist approach, whereby it is assumed that we can understand the

whole in terms of an independent assessment of its parts and the whole will necessarily

operate effectively so long as the parts each function well at their own level. The inter-

relatedness of the parts is not taken into account in this perspective and “an entity such as

a tourist destination is therefore a pattern of interrelationships and fixing one problem or

part of it in isolation will not guarantee the whole will survive” (Faulkner, 2003, p.59).

4.4 Strategic Visioning and Sustainable Tourism Planning

The visioning approach to tourism destination planning is considered to be consistent

with sustainable tourism development principles (Choy, 1991; Faulkner, 2003; Smith,

2003). Ritchie and Crouch (2000) claim that anecdotal evidence is indicating that more

destinations are adopting strategic perspectives towards tourism development as

evidenced by: strategic visioning, a concern for the total impact of tourism development

and not just the economic consequences, an eye to the long term as opposed to short term

effects, and an overall objective of sustainable tourism development. Cooper (2002) also

finds that the strategic approach to destination management is evolving into the concept

of destination visioning, noting that there is a clear synergy between the adoption of

sustainable tourism principles and the disciplined, longer-term perspective provided by

the strategic planning and visioning of tourism destinations (Cooper, 2002). Ritchie and

Jay (1999) similarly claim that more sustainable tourism development projects could be

realised through the involvement of the local communities in defining their own futures,

and Page and Thorn (1997) noted that the absence of a national vision for tourism is a

major constraint on achieving sustainable tourism options at the regional and local level.

Faulkner (2003) considers the philosophical foundations of the visioning approach are

encapsulated by sustainable tourism development principles (Figure 4.1). He primarily

attributes this to the interrelationship between the sustainability agenda and strategic

visioning which necessitates an inclusive, community participation approach involving

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representatives of all relevant stakeholder groups. The effective implementation of the

approach through the participatory model, however, requires the application of

techniques that move from simply consulting to the meaningful engagement of

stakeholders in joint decision-making. Scenario building is considered to be a

contributing factor as it is focused on the future, and the shared vision needs to be attuned

to a collective understanding of the environment and how it is changing (Faulkner, 2003).

It is important, therefore, that a scenario building process, involves an exploration of

possible futures that are informed by the variety of stakeholder perspectives. Faulkner

(2003) also identified the need for adopting a learning organization approach. Intrinsic to

both the visioning and scenario building components is the notion of stakeholders

becoming engaged in a process that ensures they are continually focused on enhancing

and expanding their collective awareness and capabilities. Learning and the building of a

knowledge base that is accessible to all stakeholders therefore needs to become an

integral part of the organisational structure at the destination level. The final aspect

hinges on collaboration in the sense that stakeholders, who normally act autonomously of

each other, must work together towards a mutually acceptable position on their

understanding of emerging challenges, preferred futures for the destination and how these

might be realised. The management of the tension between autonomy and cooperation

will therefore become central to both the development and implementation of the

strategy.

In order to achieve sustainability, Getz and Jamal (1994) claim that it is important to

reconceptualise tourism planning and development as a political process within which the

numerous stakeholders representing the community, industry and environmental interests

can strive together for common objectives. Systematic and integrative strategic planning,

based on a collaborative, learning organization framework can provide the basis for

visioning, goal setting and management of the tourism domain. Choi & Sirakaya (2005)

also note that the paradigm requires an integrated vision, policy, planning, management,

monitoring, and social learning process.

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Figure 4.1: A Framework for Destination Strategic Management and Planning

Source: Faulkner, 2003

The sustainable development concept has been touted as the new planning agenda for the

21st century and tourism destination visioning has the twin advantages of adopting the

long-term approach whilst also engineering strong community involvement and ‘buy in’

for the future of the destination (Cooper, 2002). However if sustainability is to move

beyond a vague idealism, the task ahead for planners, especially at the local level where

there is the most authority to manage and control development, is to translate the theory

into practice (Berke, 2002; Saxena, 2005).

4.5 Chapter Four Summary

Although the concept of strategic visioning as a tourism destination planning process is

relatively new, its theoretical underpinnings and empirical evidence from several

practical applications suggest that it may be a useful process for achieving the sustainable

approach, while incorporating the caveats of strategic planning and multiple stakeholder

participation. This chapter has highlighted that a strategic visioning planning process can

Techniques Visioning

Learning organisation Collaborationapproach

Scenario building Perspectives Whole of Community destination participation approach model

Principles

Sustainable tourism development

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not only assist in the development of a long-term focus and vision for the destination, but

it also facilitates multiple stakeholder participation and collaboration.

Faulkner’s (2003) assessment of the strategic visioning process undertaken for the Gold

Coast provides a comprehensive discussion on strategic tourism visioning and highlights

two key benefits of the approach. Firstly, a strategic visioning process acknowledges the

importance of integrating sustainable development principles into destination planning.

Strategic visioning is essentially concerned with establishing directions for tourism

development in the longer term so the principles of sustainable tourism development are

adopted as a fundamental philosophical foundation for the planning process. In addition

the process requires the adoption of a participatory model, where stakeholders are

engaged so that a true consensus on the preferred directions of future development can be

developed. Secondly, although stakeholder participation and collaboration in tourism

destination planning has been widely advocated (Bramwell & Lane, 2000; Hall, 1999;

Jamal & Getz, 1995), it is still the exception rather than the rule. One possible reason is

that there is no clear description of how stakeholder participation and collaboration

should occur. A strategic visioning program may provide the systematic and practical

means for stakeholders to collaborate on issues affecting the future of their destination.

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Chapter Five

Methodology

5.0 Introduction

Chapter Five outlines the methodology employed for the research, that is, both the

underpinning research philosophy and the specific research methods used to collect and

analyse the data. The aim of the study was to investigate the transference of sustainable

tourism theory to practice by examining the extent to which the principles of sustainable

tourism, including the contributing and prerequisite factors of strategic planning and

stakeholder participation, are utilised in the planning practices of local tourism

destinations. Additionally the study sought to examine the applicability of strategic

visioning as a practical planning model for achieving a sustainable planning approach.

To achieve these aims three research objectives were developed:

1. To investigate the current planning practices of local tourism destinations in

Queensland to determine the extent to which the principles of sustainable

development, strategic planning and stakeholder participation are integrated into

the tourism planning process.

2. To examine destination stakeholders perceptions of the local tourism planning

process and the extent to which the principles of sustainable development,

strategic planning and stakeholder participation underpin the process.

3. To consider the applicability of strategic visioning as a practical planning

approach for implementing sustainable development principles, strategic planning

and stakeholder participation into local tourism planning.

An interpretive, qualitative approach was adopted for the research, utilising both primary

and secondary data sources through a two-phase research process designed to meet the

stated aims and objectives of the study. The principles of constructivism and the

analytical tool of content analysis underpinned the study.

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This chapter presents the philosophical context and details the researchers’ theoretical

perspectives including the ontology, epistemology and methodology underpinning the

research. Qualitative research methodologies are discussed before the two-phase

research process developed for this study is outlined: the content analysis of local tourism

planning documents and in-depth interviews with stakeholders from five case study

destinations in Queensland. Sampling strategies, data analysis methods, ethical

considerations and methodological triangulation and limitations are also addressed.

5.1 The Philosophical Context

Debate abounds between proponents of quantitative and qualitative paradigms,

attributable to the fact that quantitative and qualitative research paradigms represent very

different ways of thinking about the world (Denzin & Lincoln, 1998; Holliday, 2002).

The quantitative paradigm (or positivist) is synonymous with science or with positive or

observable facts, based on measurable variables, provable propositions and that there is a

normality that can be fathomed and understood by using the right research techniques,

statistics and experiments (Holliday, 2002; Maykut & Morehouse, 1994). In contrast, a

qualitative paradigm (also referred to as the phenomenological or interpretivist

approaches) focuses less on facts and more on understanding the meaning events have for

the persons being studied (Patton, 1991). Such a perspective is based on the assumption

that the realities of the research setting and the people in it are mysterious and can only

be superficially touched by the research which aims to “explore, catch glimpses,

illuminate and then try to interpret bits of reality” (Holliday, 2002, p.5). Essentially

qualitative researchers believe that rich descriptions of the social world are valuable,

whereas quantitative researchers are less concerned with such detail (Denzin & Lincoln,

1994).

While the quantitative paradigm has been the dominant and accepted research tradition in

many fields, the use of qualitative research is increasing in a wide range of academic and

professional areas. Marshall and Rossman (1999) claim that qualitative research genres

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have become increasingly important modes of inquiry for the social sciences and applied

fields such as education, regional planning, nursing, social work, community

development and management. Increasingly qualitative research is being viewed, as

more than a precursor to add rigour to quantitative methods, and an approach that it is not

necessarily impressionistic and unsystematic, but can in fact produce theory development

and not simply descriptive case studies (Charmaz, 2000; Glaser & Straus, 1967).

Within the arena of tourism research, quantitative, positivist methodologies, have also

been the norm, but it is also being recognized that qualitative methodologies can play an

important role in investigating the phenomena of tourism and hospitality (Riley & Love,

2000; Walle, 1997). This has arisen as tourism research is increasingly becoming

occupied with understanding the ‘why’ of the tourism phenomena, and qualitative

methodologies are allowing researchers to investigate the deeper meanings people

attribute to tourism and tourism experiences, events and phenomena (Jennings, 2001).

Studies addressing tourism planning issues have also tended to adopt qualitative, multi

method approaches, particularly the content analysis of tourism plans and interviews with

stakeholders in the planning process (Bahaire & Elliott-White, 1999; Fletcher & Cooper,

1996; Getz, 1992; Getz & Jamal, 1994; Kaufman & Jacobs, 1993; Pearce, 1998;

Timothy, 1999). Therefore, based on the researchers view that the world is socially

constructed and the inherent relationship between the researcher and subject as humans

excludes total objectivity, a methodological approach based on a qualitative-interpretive

paradigm was adopted for this research, which includes a relativist ontology, a

constructivist (or subjective) epistemology and a qualitative methodology.

5.2 Qualitative-Interpretive Research Paradigm

It is recognised that four major interpretive paradigms structure qualitative research:

positivist and postpositivist, constructivist-interpretivist, critical (Marxist, emancipatory),

and feminist-poststructural (Denzin & Lincoln, 1998) and the qualitative paradigm is

often referred to as: interpretive social science, critical interpretive, interpretivist,

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constructivist, phenomenological, hermeneutic, reflective, inductive, ethnographic

(Jennings, 2001; Mason, 2002; Ticehurst & Veal, 1999). As the qualitative paradigm

incorporates a myriad of terminology and it appears that every author adopts their own,

“any venture into the literature will reveal that qualitative research is presented under a

confusing array of different and variable headings” (Holliday, 2002, p.17), for the

purposes of this discussion the qualitative paradigm in its broadest sense is referred to as

the interpretivist (interpretive) paradigm. This term has been adopted as qualitative

research is seen as grounded in a philosophical position which is broadly interpretivist in

the sense that it is concerned with how the social world is interpreted, understood,

experienced or produced (Mason, 1996).

The interpretive paradigm is based on the concept of empathetic understanding, and

according to Weber (1978, p.5), “empathetic or appreciative understanding is attained

when, through sympathetic participation, we can adequately grasp the emotional context

in which the action took place”. Researchers are seen to be part of the research process

as they seek to uncover meanings and understandings of the broad interrelationships in

the situation they are researching by relying on the people being studied to provide their

own explanation of their situation or behaviour. The interpretivist paradigm therefore

takes the view that the world is socially constructed and subjective, and that there is no

reality outside of people’s perceptions (Ticehurst & Veal, 1999). That is, the individual

and their world is co-constituted, with the person having no existence apart from the

world, and the world having no existence apart from the person (Maykut & Morehouse,

1994; Valle & King, 1978). It also considers the world as being constituted of multiple

realities, with the researcher assuming an inductive approach to research and

commencing the study in the empirical world in order to develop explanations of the

phenomena (Jennings, 2001). According to Maykut and Morehouse (1994), the way we

understand the nature of reality directly affects the way we see ourselves in relation to

knowledge. Therefore, if knowledge can be separated into parts and examined

individually, then the researcher can stand apart from who or what they are examining.

However, if knowledge is constructed, then the researcher cannot totally be separated

from what is known, i.e. the world is co-constituted.

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5.3 Theoretical Perspective: Constructivism

The interpretivist-qualitative paradigm is the overarching paradigm for this thesis;

however, the researcher has adopted the more specific notion of constructivism as the

theoretical perspective. While other researchers may argue that interpretivism and

constructivism are comparable theoretical perspectives, the researcher’s interpretation of

the literature is that constructivism is a theoretical perspective within (or a subset of) the

overarching qualitative paradigm, which has been termed the qualitative-interpretivist

paradigm for this study.

Constructivism has been defined as “celebrating firsthand knowledge of empirical

worlds, takes a middle ground between postmodernism and positivism, and offers

accessible methods for qualitative research” (Charmaz, 2000, p.510). Constructivism

assumes that human beings do not find or discover knowledge so much as they construct

or make it. It is based on the assumption that knowledge is a result of human creation,

which becomes apparent with material and cultural resources, as opposed to the

revelation of a natural order that is pre-given and independent of human action (Golinski,

1998). Along with other adherents to the interpretive-qualitative paradigm,

constructivists attempt to understand the complex world of lived experience from the

point of view of those who live it, in that, “particular actors, in particular places, at

particular times, fashion meaning out of events and phenomena through prolonged,

complex processes of social interaction involving history, language and action” (Denzin

& Lincoln, 1998, p.222). Constructivists believe that to understand the world one must

make an interpretation of it, by constructing meaning from the language and actions of

social actors, and determining what is real is a construction in the minds of individuals

(Bloor, 1976; Charmaz, 2000; Lincoln & Guba, 1985).

Bateson (1972) claims that all qualitative researchers are philosophers in the universal

sense that all human beings are guided by abstract principles. Researchers principles are

a combination of beliefs about ontology (what kind of being is the human being? what is

the nature of reality?), epistemology (what is the relationship between the inquirer and

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the known?), and methodology (how do we know the world, or gain knowledge of it?)

(Denzin & Lincoln, 1998). These principles will shape how the qualitative researcher

sees the world and acts in it. The interpretivist-constructivist paradigm assumes a

relativist ontology (there are multiple realities), a subjective and constructivist

epistemology (knower and subject create understandings), and a naturalistic qualitative

(in the natural world) set of methodological procedures (Jennings, 2001).

5.3.1 Ontology

Within the social sciences, ontology examines the nature of society, the social processes,

the difference between law and rule, the role of causation and chance and the nature of

planning (Bunge, 1996), and researchers who subscribe to the qualitative-interpretivist

paradigm have an ontological view that the world consists of multiple realities. The

researcher has adopted the theoretical perspective of constructivism for this thesis, which

is underpinned by a relativist belief. Relativism assumes that there is no rational basis for

one belief to be better than another belief, that is, science is only one of a number of

possible perspectives for uncovering the truth (Blackburn, 1996; Guba & Lincoln, 1989;

Rubin & Rubin, 1995). Essentially an ontological relativism assumes that reality is

determined by the concepts of those living within it, thus there are multiple socially

constructed realities (Green, 2002).

According to Jennings (2001) this approach leads the researcher to assuming an inductive

approach to research and commencing the study in the empirical world in order to

develop explanations of the phenomena. Research, as was the case in this study, is

conducted in the natural setting of the participants to build generalizations about a

phenomenon through the participant’s view of the phenomena.

5.3.2 Epistemology

Epistemology refers to the role of observation and speculation, intuition and reason,

analogy and induction, discovery and invention and the formation of constructs and

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methods of social science (Bunge, 1996), and considers the relationships between the

researcher and the subjects of research. An interpretive paradigm based on a

constructivist relativist approach is premised on the belief that the insider’s view provides

the best view for understanding the phenomenon being studied, because the insider’s

view, or the ‘emic perspective’, allows for the identification of multiple realities

(Jennings, 2001).

As interpretive research is based on the concept of empathetic understanding, in order to

achieve such an understanding, the researcher is obliged to enter the social setting to gain

an understanding of the issues (Jennings, 2001). Therefore the relationship between the

researcher and participant is subjective and value laden, an inherent issue and criticism of

qualitative research. However, the researcher still considers it important to minimize

subjectivity and wherever possible attempted to view the issues under investigation

objectively and minimise the influence of personal bias and beliefs.

5.3.3 Methodology

Methodology refers to the “model, which entails theoretical principles as well as a

framework that provides guidelines about how research is done in the context of a

particular paradigm” (Sarantakos, 1998, p.32). A researcher’s ontology and

epistemology will guide the choice of methodology, so to gather knowledge from the

empirical world, a researcher informed by a constructivist relativist paradigm will use a

qualitative methodology, where attempts are made to understand phenomena based on the

perspectives of those involved (Denzin & Lincoln, 1994; Jennings, 2001).

Constructivists generally use a naturalistic qualitative methodology, where the

methodological procedures are conducted in the real world under natural settings, with

attempts to study the whole phenomenon and all its complexity rather than breaking the

phenomenon into component parts and studying discrete variables and causal

relationships as is the case in quantitative research (Jennings, 2001). The research

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methodology does influence the research methods that were adopted for the study, and

these are detailed further in the following sections.

5.4 Qualitative Research Methodology

Qualitative research seeks answers to questions by examining social settings and the

individuals who inhabit these settings (Berg, 2001). Qualitative research methods are a

set of interpretive techniques that describe, decode, translate and attempt to develop

meaning from a phenomenon, as opposed to a quantitative approach, which essentially

records the frequency of the phenomena (Van Maanen, 1983). Such techniques allow

researchers to share in the understandings and perceptions of others and to explore how

people structure and give meaning to their daily lives, through the collection of ‘rich’

information from respondents (Berg, 2001; Brunt, 1997). To analyse this information the

data can be subject to content analysis, a process of organizing it into objective categories

on the basis of themes, concepts or similar features, from which new concepts are

developed, conceptual definitions are formulated and relationships among concepts are

examined in relation to the research question and pre-existing theoretical understandings

(Glaser & Strauss, 1967; Janesick, 2000; McKee, 2003; Neuman, 2000; Sapsford & Jupp,

1996). However, the constructivist paradigm requires that the categories, themes and

patterns that emerge from qualitative research come from the data and are not imposed

prior to data collection (Janesick, 2000).

Qualitative research is often seen as using multiple methodologies and research practices,

and Brewer and Hunter (1989) claim that qualitative research is inherently multi-method.

The use of multiple methods or triangulation of materials, perspectives and observers in a

single study is done so in an attempt to secure an in-depth understanding of the

phenomenon in question by adding rigor, breadth, and depth to an investigation (Flick,

1992). As qualitative research does not prescribe to a distinct set of methods (Denzin &

Lincoln, 1998), this study, like others investigating the tourism planning process, has

incorporated methodological triangulation through the use of both primary and secondary

data sources to address the research issue and objectives. Multiple research techniques

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were also used in an attempt to refine, broaden, and strengthen the conceptual linkages of

the study as illustrated in the research process (Figure 5.1).

Figure 5.1: Research Process

Stage One Data Collection

Stage Two Data Collection

Building on the research issues and literature review, a two-phase research process was

developed for this study (Figure 5.1). The first stage of the research involved a

qualitative analysis of tourism planning documents to determine the extent to which the

Tourism planning at the local destination level Content analysis of local tourism planning documents

Case study destination 1

Identification and selection of case study destinations

Case study destination 2

Case study destination 3

Case study destination 4

Stakeholder perceptions of the local tourism destination planning process

In-depth, semi-structured stakeholder interviews

Case study destination 5

The development of a framework for implementing sustainable development principles into local tourism

planning

Literature review

Definition of research issue and objectives

Analysis stage one and two data collection

Recommendations/contribution

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principles of sustainable development, strategic planning and stakeholder collaboration

are integrated into the tourism destination planning process. It was found that of the 125

local tourism destinations in Queensland 30 destinations had a tourism plan (section 5.5).

Each of these plans were assessed utilising a tourism planning process evaluation

instrument and content analysis. From this analysis five destinations were selected as

cases for further investigation and for the second stage of the study, in-depth, semi-

structured interviews were conducted with stakeholder participants to determine their

perceptions of the local tourism destination planning process (section 5.6). The results of

the two-stage data collection process confirmed assertions raised in the literature that

there was a need for practical models to assist local tourism destinations in addressing

sustainable tourism planning. Therefore the final stage of the research process involved

the development and discussion of the strategic visioning framework for implementing

sustainable development principles into local tourism planning (Chapter Eight).

5.5 Stage One: Tourism Planning at the Local Tourism Destination Level

The first objective of the study was to investigate the current planning practices of local

tourism destinations in Queensland to determine the extent to which the principles of

sustainable development, strategic planning and stakeholder collaboration are integrated

into the tourism destination planning process. To achieve this, a review of the most

recent, publicly available, tourism specific planning documents of each of the 125 local

tourism destinations in Queensland was conducted. Although there is no legislative

requirement for Queensland local tourism destinations to have a tourism planning

document (Chapter One), Page and Thorn (1997) consider that if such a document does

exist it would indicate a strong commitment to tourism and recognition of the role of

tourism within the economy of the area. For the purposes of this study a local tourism

destination is equated with local shire council areas based on the Australian government

system (Chapter One).

Secondary data sources (tourism planning documents) were considered useful for this

study as they enable researchers to retrospectively examine a phenomenon or process.

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As Berno (1996) noted, published documents such as government policy can

theoretically highlight the growth of tourism to gain a historical representation of the

associated socio-cultural changes. Hall et al (1997) advocate such an approach as it can

give explanations about what happened during the planning process, as well as highlight

the associated set of values, power and interests. Such an approach has also been used in

other studies examining the tourism planning process, such as Timothy’s (1999) study

where planning documents were examined to understand issues of concern and emphasis

for the study region, while Williams et al (1998) examined planning documents to gain

an insight into the nature of the planning process. Therefore the tourism planning

documents of Queensland local tourism destinations were considered a valuable data

source to address the first objective of the study.

To source the documents, each of the 125 local tourism destinations were contacted via

their respective local shire council to identify the most appropriate person to speak to

regarding tourism planning. This occurred firstly through an introductory email and then

if necessary followed up by telephone. If the destination did have a tourism-specific

planning document the researcher obtained a copy of the documentation for analysis, and

was successful in obtaining all available documents. Tourism-specific planning

documents were sought for further analysis referring to and including tourism strategies,

tourism development plans, tourism management plans, and tourism action plans. Due to

the focus of the study, strategies and plans that focused specifically on tourism

destination marketing were excluded, although a number of the planning documents did

include destination marketing goals and objectives. Similarly regional level plans that

incorporate a grouping of shire council areas were also excluded. Destinations that did

not have a tourism planning document were excluded from further analysis.

As discussed in Chapter Six, 30 of the 125 local tourism destinations in Queensland had a

tourism specific planning document, and Appendix Six provides a full catalogue of the

planning status for each of the 125 local tourism destinations in Queensland. A further

more detailed catalogue with pertinent information was developed for the 30 tourism

planning documents to assist in the data analysis stage (Figure 6.1, Chapter Six).

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Table 5.1: Catalogue of Queensland Local Tourism Planning Documents Catalogue Plan No.

Shire Council Area

Title of Document

Prepared by Prepared for Year

Document identification

code

Local tourism destination

area

Designates title of document

Organisation responsible for

preparing document

Organisation document was prepared for

The year of publication

5.5.1 Stage One Content Analysis

Content analysis is a recognised and common method for analysing secondary data

sources (Janesick, 2000). The use of a qualitative content analysis approach for

analysing secondary material results in data being uncovered progressively through

reading and annotation of the material which leads to the natural creation of categories,

thus uncovering pertinent data for the study (Dey, 1993; Glesne, 1999). However there is

no one single right way to conduct a content analysis (Weber, 1990), therefore to

facilitate the analysis a tourism planning process evaluation instrument developed by

Simpson (2001) was used as a framework for analysing the 30 tourism planning

documents.

The tourism planning process evaluation instrument served to underpin the content

analysis process and assist the researcher in qualitatively determining whether the stated

criteria were addressed in the tourism planning documents. This method is similar to

what Mason (2002) describes as categorical indexing, where the whole of the data set is

indexed according to a set of common principles and measures, with the objective of

applying a uniform set of indexing categories systematically and consistently to the data.

Engaging in a form of data indexing such as this can help the researcher adopt a more

objective approach to the data analysis process.

5.5.2 Tourism Planning Process Evaluation Instrument

Each of the 30 tourism planning documents were analysed based on a tourism planning

process evaluation instrument developed and tested by Simpson (2001) to assess

individual tourism destinations’ planning approaches in terms of sustainable

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development, strategic orientation and stakeholder participation (Table 5.2). Originally

designed to quantitatively assess the tourism planning process, the instrument is

described as “an aggregate measure of elevator attitudes, culminating in an inventory of

contributing components which together delineate the specific planning process under

review” (Simpson, 2001, p.23). To build the evaluation instrument a pool of potential

items were identified through a conventional literature search and augmented through the

implementation of an experience survey technique conducted with staff members at the

author’s institution (Simpson, 2001). As Simpson’s study was quantitative, extreme care

was taken to alleviate bias and improve reliability, and Simpson (2001, p.23) reports that

“wherever possible items were phrased to require objective evaluations of

fact, rather than subjective expressions of opinion, and considerable care

was taken to clearly define any subjective concepts, in the interests of

minimizing the potential for bias”.

On conclusion of his study Simpson did not purport that the evaluative instrument was

finalized in terms of quantitative reliability and validity and qualitative conclusions were

eventually drawn on the planning processes under investigation. However Simpson does

offer the instrument as a useful starting point from which to commence further

investigative efforts.

Although Simpson’s instrument was not proven to be statistically reliable and valid in

quantitative terms, statistical reliability and validity are not such pertinent concerns for

qualitative research (Patton, 1990). The instrument was therefore deemed to be useful for

the purposes of the first stage of the research in that it provided a comprehensive

framework to conduct a content analysis of the secondary documents. As was outlined

previously, tourism planning studies have tended to adopt qualitative approaches in

analysing tourism plans and it is based on this premise that the researcher rejected the

need to use the instrument in a quantitative manner, and instead utilised the instrument in

a qualitative assessment of tourism planning. The decision to adopt Simpson’s

instrument was based on the considerable effort that was taken to reduce bias in the

construction of the instrument, as such quantitative ‘thoroughness’ can assist the

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qualitative researcher in reducing some of the inherent subjectivity in qualitative research

(Mason, 2002).

An additional section on the tourism planning approach was added to Simpson’s original

evaluative instrument, based on the literature review, although this is not considered to

have compromised the integrity of the evaluation instrument. The method of analysis

was also slightly altered due to the qualitative paradigm adopted for this study.

Simpson’s study used a panel of assessors to meet quantitative requirement, whereas the

researcher solely conducted the analysis of the planning documents in this study using a

three-point likert type scale. The likert scale was used to assist the researcher in

determining whether the evaluative criteria were evident, somewhat evident or not

evident in the tourism planning documents. A document that had a number of ‘evident’

categories would suggest that the planning process had adopted the principles of strategic

planning and stakeholder participation and in turn sustainable development.

Alternatively if a plan had a number of ‘not evident’ categories it would suggest that the

planning process did not incorporate the principles under investigation. The somewhat

evident category was included so as not to exclude elements of relevance in the document

but which would otherwise be discarded due to the objective statements in the evaluative

instrument.

The tourism planning process evaluation instrument (Table 5.2) included five sections to

assess individual tourism destinations’ planning approaches in terms of sustainable

development, strategic orientation and stakeholder participation and collaboration. The

first section of the evaluation instrument, ‘physical, environment and economic situation

analysis’ (situation analysis), was incorporated as it was considered necessary for a

planning process to include an assessment of existing economic, environmental and

socio-cultural parameters, alongside an evaluation of current visitor activity levels in the

subject area (Simpson, 2001). The ‘strategic indicators of destination planning’ (strategic

planning) section was designed to assess the strategic orientation of the planning process,

and whether a clear base had been established from which planned development can

commence. In this study a long-term, strategic perspective is defined as a planning

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document of five years or more (Murphy & Murphy, 2004). The situation analysis and

strategic planning sections address the key aspects of the traditional strategic planning

approach recognized in both the general strategic planning literature and the tourism

strategic planning literature through the consideration of overall goals and objectives,

scope or domain of action to achieve objectives, resources and/or distinctive

competencies which will assist in achieving objectives, and skills and resource

deployments (Schendel & Hofer, 1979; Simpson, 2001).

The third section, ‘stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process’

(stakeholder participation) assesses the nature and influence of stakeholder involvement,

including the stage at which involvement occurred and the extent to which local

stakeholder opinion was taken into account in the final planning outcomes (Simpson,

2001). This is considered a key aspect of the process because as the literature suggests,

effective strategic planning is a collective phenomenon typically involving a diverse set

of stakeholders in various ways and at various times (Bryson, 1995; Bryson & Roering,

1987). The ‘destination community vision and values’ section examined the integration

of community values into the tourism planning process and the extent to which the vision

for the future of the destination is in keeping with such values. The final section, the

‘dominant tourism planning approach’ was added to the original instrument to investigate

the issue raised in the rationale for the study (Chapter One) that the tourism industry has

been slow to adopt sustainability principles and actually put them into practice due to the

fact that economic motivations are given priority over social and ecological issues (Getz,

1986; Hall, 1998). In assessing the documents for their tourism planning approach, the

goals and objectives as well as strategies and action plans/agendas within the documents

were examined.

Table 5.2: Tourism Planning Process Evaluation Instrument Physical, Environmental and Economic Situation Analysis

• The planning document describes the area’s principal geographic features • The planning document describes the main characteristics of the local climate • The planning document identifies flora and fauna which are unique to the area • The planning document assesses the resilience and/or fragility of the physical environment • The planning document identifies current population levels and demographics • The planning document identifies current land use and ownership patterns in the area

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• The planning document identifies the major economic activities in the local area • The planning document establishes the relative importance of tourism, compared with other

industries, to the economic development of the local area • The planning document quantifies the economic benefit of tourism to the area • The planning document quantifies the employment creation ability of local tourism activity • The planning document describes the principal tourism sites in the area • The planning document evaluates the current capacity of tourism plant and infrastructure • The planning document evaluates the adequacy of business skills possessed by local tourism

industry operators • The planning document includes quantitative analysis of current visitor numbers, length of stay

and spending • The planning document acknowledges the need to integrate local tourism strategies with other

local, regional, state and national plans for tourism development Strategic Indicators of Destination Planning

• The time dimension of the planning process reflects a long term orientation • The planning document includes broadly based goals related to the nature and scale of future

tourism development • The planning document identifies broadly based goals related to the economic benefits of future

tourism development • The planning document includes broadly based goals related to environmental protection • The planning document includes broadly based goals related to community values and lifestyle

protection • The planning document includes broadly based goals which emphasize the local benefits of

tourism development • The planning document identifies a range of alternative strategies by which broadly based goals

may be achieved • The planning document evaluates each strategy option prior to determining a range of specific

objectives • Specific objectives support previously established broad goals • Specific objectives selected are based on supply capability as opposed to market demand • Specific objectives target the equitable distribution of tourism’s economic benefits throughout the

local area • Specific objectives for future tourism activity are quantified and readily measurable

Stakeholder Participation and Influence in the Planning Process • The planning document addresses the relationships between destination stakeholders • Relevant state/federal government agencies took part in the planning process • Relevant local agencies took part in the planning process • Governmental opinions (federal, state, or local) influenced the final strategic direction selected • The relevant regional tourism organization took part in the planning process • The relevant local tourism authority took part in the planning process • Regional tourism organization or local tourism authority opinion influenced the final strategic

direction selected • The local tourism industry took part in the planning process • Local tourism industry opinion influenced the final strategic direction selected • Other local non-tourism organizations took part in the planning process • Other local non-tourism organization opinion influenced the final strategic direction selected • Ordinary local residents took part in the planning process • Ordinary local resident opinion influenced the final strategic direction selected

Destination Community Vision and Values • The planning document identifies locally important community values • The planning document identifies locally important lifestyle features • The planning document identifies current issues which are critical to residents • The planning document assesses community attitudes to tourism

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• The planning document assesses the overall quality of life in the area • The planning document includes a vision for the future which aligns with local community values,

attitudes and lifestyles Tourism Planning Approach

• The planning document addresses economic development and growth • The planning document addresses the physical resources of the destination • The planning document addresses the impacts of tourism on the natural environment • The planning document addresses how tourism can benefit the local community • The planning document addresses tourism in the context of sustainable development

Source: Adapted from Simpson, 2001

5.5.3 Ranking of Local Tourism Destination Planning Documents

To provide a more quantifiable and objective assessment of the performance of tourism

planning documents against the criteria of the tourism planning process evaluation

instrument each of the plans received a score which allowed for the weighting and

ranking of each of the local tourism planning documents. To assist in determining the

extent to which the analysed plans met with the tourism planning process evaluation

criteria a ranking method was devised, based on a system developed by Zhang, Ruhanen,

Murphy and Cooper (2004), so that a more objective assessment of the qualitative data

could be made.

The ranking was derived from awarding evident items a score of 2, somewhat evident

items a score of 1 and items that were not evident in the plans 0. Within the situation

analysis section there were 15 items and therefore a plan could potentially receive a score

of 30 for this category if all 15 items were evident (15 assessment items x a score of 2).

The strategic indicators items could potentially achieve a score of 24 (12 assessment

items), stakeholder participation 26 (13 assessment items) and destination vision and

values a score of 12 (6 assessment items). A plan that had met with all of the stated

criteria in the evaluation instrument could potentially receive a score of 92. By ranking

the plans in accordance with their compliance with the assessment criteria a total score

was derived. The total score is presented in the final column of Table 6.38 (Chapter Six).

A percentage figure is also provided that shows the plan’s compliance with the

assessment criteria, for example the Cardwell plan had a total score of 24 and the plan

included 26% of the evaluation criteria.

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5.5.4 Stage One: Summary

The first stage of the research involved a qualitative analysis of available tourism

planning documents for each of the 125 local tourism destinations in Queensland. It was

found that 30 destinations had a tourism plan and these were assessed utilising content

analysis and underpinned by the use of a tourism planning process evaluation instrument

originally developed by Simpson (2001) to determine the extent to which the principles

of sustainable development, strategic planning and stakeholder collaboration are

integrated into the tourism destination planning process (Table 5.2).

The results of the first research stage are outlined in Chapter Six. Results of the planning

process evaluation are presented for both the 30 tourism destinations collectively and for

each destination that had a tourism plan. From this individual analysis, each of the plans

were quantitatively weighted and ranked in terms of their compliance with the tourism

planning criteria to provide the sampling framework for the second stage of the study.

5.6 Stage Two: Stakeholder Perceptions of the Local Tourism Destination

Planning Process

The second objective of the study was to examine destination stakeholders’ perceptions

of the local tourism planning process and the extent to which the principles of sustainable

development, strategic planning and stakeholder collaboration underpin the process. As

discussed, the establishment of a more strategically focused and sustainability oriented

model hinges on the degree to which leading players among the stakeholder groups

embrace it and champion the cause (Faulkner, 2003). It was therefore deemed important

to investigate stakeholders’ perceptions of these key elements as without their support the

planning process would be made redundant. Also addressed in the second stage of the

research process were stakeholder perceptions of strategic visioning as per the third

research objective of the study. To address these objectives, in-depth, semi-structured

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interviews were conducted with destination stakeholders in five local tourism case study

areas in Queensland.

5.6.1 Local Tourism Destination Case Studies

Case studies were utilised in the research as they have been found to be valuable in that a

great deal can be learned from a few exemplars of the phenomenon in question (Patton,

1990). The case study method refers to the systematic gathering of enough information

about a particular person, social setting, event or group to permit the researcher to

effectively understand how it operates or functions (Berg, 2001; Ragin & Becker, 1992).

Collective case studies can also be used which involve the holistic study of several

instrumental cases, whether similar or different in nature, to allow for better

understanding and the enhanced ability to theorize about a broader context (Berg, 2001;

Yin, 1994). Although some authors have suggested that findings are specific to the case

study and cannot be generalized to other cases (Jennings, 2001), cases are selected for

study because they are of particular interest given the study’s purpose (Patton, 1990). It

has also been claimed that case study approaches are beneficial in determining what

happened during the decision making, planning and policy making processes of tourism

planning and policy making (Hall et al, 1997).

From the planning process evaluation conducted in the first stage of the research, each of

the planning documents were numerically weighted and ranked in terms of their

compliance with the tourism planning criteria (section 5.5.3). This allowed for an

objective selection of case study destinations. As with Kaufman and Jacobs (1993)

tourism planning study, case study eligibility for this research was based on selecting

destinations where the tourism planning process was considered ‘advanced enough’ to

allow for informed in-depth interviews with destination stakeholders regarding their

perceptions of the local tourism planning process and how the principles of sustainable

development, strategic planning and stakeholder collaboration are incorporated. In

Kaufman and Jacobs (1993) study participants represented communities for which

strategic planning was far enough advanced to allow for an informed interview so that

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they could contrast the strategic planning process with other, more traditional planning

approaches. Based on this logic, as only five destinations met with over 50% of the

criteria from the tourism planning process evaluation instrument, five destinations were

selected as case studies to meet the second and third objectives of the study. Incidentally

two of these destinations had also conducted a tourism visioning project for their

destination which allowed for further in-depth analysis of the strategic visioning

approach in relation to the third objective of the study. The five case study destinations

selected were: Redland Shire, Sarina Shire, Douglas Shire, Gold Coast City Council, and

Thuringowa City Council.

5.6.2 In-depth Interviews with Local Tourism Destination Stakeholders

In-depth, semi structured interviews were conducted with stakeholders in each of the five

case study destinations selected for stage two of the research. Interviewing is a common

means of collecting data in qualitative research and can be defined as simply, a

conversation with a purpose, with the purpose being to gather information (Babbie, 1998;

Denzin, 1978; Dexter, 1970; Marshall & Rossman, 1999). In-depth interviewing refers

to respondents giving detailed, reflective answers based on consideration of their

evidence and experiences. The advantage of in-depth interviews is researchers have the

opportunity to obtain thoughtful answers based on the experience of participants as well

as gain an insight into the topic from diverse viewpoints. They also allow researchers to

find out about things that they did not directly observe, in this case the tourism

destination planning process. A further advantage is the ability to collect large amounts

of data in a relatively short period of time, as well as allowing for clarification of issues

with participants on their thoughts. In-depth interviews can also be a useful method

when the information is expected to vary considerably, and with the well-acknowledged

diversity in stakeholder attitudes within a destination, this was certainly the case in this

study.

While several types of interview categories can be utilised from completely standardized

to completely un-standardized interview structures (Babbie, 1995; Berg, 2001; Maykut &

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Morehouse, 1994; Schwartz & Jacobs, 1979), the semi standardized (or semi structured)

interview technique was adopted for this study. Under this type of interviewing

structure, a number of predetermined open questions are asked of each subject in a

systematic and consistent order, but the interviewers have the freedom to digress to probe

beyond the answers to the prepared and standardized questions (Berg, 2001). The

researcher explores a few general topics to help uncover the participant’s views but

otherwise respects how the participant frames and structures the responses which also

allows for questions and discussion to be more suitably tailored to the circumstances of a

particular interview.

An unstructured approach to interviewing is fundamental to qualitative research in that

the participant’s perspective on the phenomenon of interest should unfold as the

participant views it, not as the researcher views it (Marshall & Rossman, 1999; Patton,

1990). Such an approach is also important for researchers who subscribe to the

constructivist theoretical perspective where the onus is on attempting to understand and

interpret the experience from the point of view of those who have experienced it. The

semi-structured interview approach allows researchers to see the basic social process

through respondents telling us what is significant (Glaser, 1992), and was therefore seen

as the most applicable approach for the research based on the researchers constructivist

perspective.

The interview was designed to capture respondents’ reflections of the planning process,

and as with Williams et al’s (1998) study of tourism planning, gain stakeholder

perspectives on the strengths and weaknesses and outcomes of the planning process. An

interview guide was prepared in advance of the interviews based on the key theories and

issues raised in the literature review (Chapters Two, Three & Four) pertinent to the

research objectives of this study. The objective of preparing an interview guide with a

series of questions or topics was to ensure that the same information was obtained from

all participants in the study (Patton, 1990). Respondents were also supplied with the

interview guide in advance so that they had an opportunity to become familiar with the

issues to be discussed. The interview guide included initial screening questions regarding

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stakeholder’s regular affiliations in the destination, whether they were a resident of the

area, their role in the tourism planning process, their reasons for participating in the

planning process and their perceived influence and ownership of the plan outcomes.

Following these initial questions four broad themes were used to guide the interview,

with a series of prompts and questions for the researcher to use (Appendix Seven).

The first of these themes related to sustainability and included questions regarding

stakeholder views on the concept of sustainability, perceived practical application of the

sustainability concept and any factors that may be facilitating or hindering the adoption

of sustainable tourism planning approaches. The second theme addressed strategic

planning and included questions for stakeholders regarding their destination’s strategic

planning process and more specifically whether the process had provided a framework

for development in the destination, whether it would meet the current and future needs of

the area and the perceived benefits and relevance of local level strategic planning

processes.

The third theme addressed in the interviews related to broad based stakeholder

participation in the tourism planning and decision-making process, including the role of

local residents. Respondents were asked for their views on how the multiple stakeholder

groups were engaged in the planning process, the success of multiple stakeholder

participation and whether stakeholder participation had enhanced the tourism planning

process and resulted in a more accepted tourism plan for the destination. This theme also

addressed stakeholder leadership and responsibility for planning and the role of the local

government authority in local tourism destination planning. The final theme addressed

future planning practices and stakeholder perceptions of the strategic visioning concept as

a tourism destination planning model. Additional questions were included within this

theme for stakeholders from the case study destinations that had previously participated

in a strategic visioning process.

Typically interviews ranged from 45 minutes to an hour, depending on respondents’

willingness to discuss and delve into the issues under investigation. Interviews were

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tape-recorded with the permission of the respondent to avoid the disruption of note-taking

(King, 1994) and transcribed by the researcher as soon as practically possible after the

interview to allow for clarification and additional notes to be made if necessary. The

interviews were conducted with stakeholders at a time and place of their convenience,

which in all cases was in the case study region (the subject’s natural setting).

5.6.3 Stakeholder Interview Sampling

A sampling strategy was designed to guide the selection of subjects to participate in the

in-depth interviews. Qualitative sampling includes people (or settings) selected for the

goal of gaining a deep understanding of some phenomenon experienced by a selected

group of people (Maykut & Morehouse, 1994). In contrast to quantitative sampling

where randomly selecting subjects is necessary to ensure the population is representative

(probability sampling), qualitative research sets out to build a sample through a non-

probability or non-random sample, with every person in the study having an equal chance

of selection (Jennings, 2001). Although there are several possible non-probability

sampling approaches available, the technique adopted for sampling the participants for

the in-depth interviews in this study was a purposive snowball sampling strategy.

Snowball sampling is a non-probability sampling strategy that can locate subjects with

certain attributes or characteristics necessary for a study (Berg, 2001). The basic strategy

of snowballing (also referred to as chain or expert sampling) involves firstly identifying

several people with relevant characteristics and interviewing them, at which time these

subjects are asked for the names of other people who possess the same attributes as they

do. Snowball sampling has been found to be useful with difficult to reach participants

because the researcher may not be informed about formal or informal ‘network

connections’ (Jennings, 2001). Medeiros de Arajo and Bramwell (1999) identify the

snowball method as a useful means of identifying relevant stakeholders based on the

views of other stakeholders. They further state that the snowball method can be very

useful at a local level, thus its inclusion as a sampling strategy in this study. The

researcher firstly identified stakeholders from the tourism planning document analysis

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(stage one research) that played a critical role either as coordinator of the planning

process, on a steering committee or were noted as authors of the strategy. On completion

of interviews these participants were asked to identify other stakeholders, which had been

involved in the planning process. The success of this approach varied between case

studies. For instance in the case of Sarina, all six stakeholders approached participated in

an interview, whereas in the case of Redland Shire a total of ten stakeholders were

contacted, with only six agreeing to participate in an interview (Table 5.3).

Table 5.3: Stakeholder Interview Response Rate

Case Study Destination Response Rate Total Respondents

Redland Shire 60% 6

Sarina Shire 100% 6

Douglas Shire 75% 6

Gold Coast City 75% 6

Thuringowa City 70% 7

While quantitative sampling studies have strict criteria for obtaining statistically valid

samples of the population, the sampling size for qualitative research is not so exact. It

has even been suggested that there are no rules for sample size in qualitative inquiry as

there is no attempt to make generalisations for the population, as is the case with

quantitative research (Patton, 1990). In determining the sampling size for qualitative

research, it is suggested that one must collect and analyse data in an ongoing process

until no new information is presented (Guba, 1978; Maykut & Morehouse, 1994).

Similarly, Punch (1998) suggests that the process continues until no new data are found,

only confirmation of previous ‘theories’. Authors have found that saturation point may

be reached with as few as twelve participants and no more than twenty (Lincoln & Guba,

1985). For this study, a minimum of five stakeholder respondents from each of the case

study destinations was considered desirable to obtain a total study sample of 25. This

figure was considered acceptable based on previously conducted studies of the tourism

planning process that utilised stakeholders as interview participants (Getz & Jamal, 1994;

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Timothy, 1999). In total 31 stakeholder respondents were interviewed from the five case

study destinations, which exceeded the minimum acceptable target. It was also found

that a saturation point had been reached in terms of identifying additional appropriate

stakeholders to participate in the study based on the snowball sampling method.

Three main stakeholder groups in local tourism destination planning were identified in

the literature review (Chapter Three): the local government authority of the destination,

members of the tourism industry (operators and service providers) and the destination

resident community. Although it is highly debatable as to who constitutes as a

stakeholder, it is generally accepted that all three parties should have decision-making

responsibility for the future of the destination (Chapter Three), and therefore were

deemed to be the potential participants of this study. Actual participants in the study

included stakeholders from the local government authority of the destination (councillors

and council officers), and members of the tourism industry (private sector operators,

members or staff of tourism associations and similar authorities). Although not

originally identified as a stakeholder, consultants who were retained for the planning

process were also interviewed and actually proved to be key stakeholders (Chapter

Eight). Despite being widely acknowledged as a key stakeholder group, local residents

of the destination community who participated in the planning process could not be

interviewed. As discussed in the limitations of the study (section 5.8), it was not possible

to obtain contact information for local residents for any of the case study destinations,

despite concerted attempts to do so. However many of the respondents from the other

stakeholder group categories were also residents of the destinations under investigation

(Table 5.4).

Respondent’s regular affiliations as well as their role in the local tourism planning

process, and their perceived influence over the tourism planning process are presented in

Table 5.5. Respondents were asked during the interviews to describe their perceived

level of influence over the planning process, which is discussed in Chapter Eight. The

respondent codes listed in the first column of Table 5.5 have been used to identify

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responses from stakeholder participants in the results of the in-depth interviews in

Chapter Seven.

Table 5.4: Respondent Regular Affiliation and Residence in Destination

Case Study 1-

Redland

Case Study 2-

Sarina

Case Study 3-

Douglas

Case Study 4-

Gold Coast

Case Study 5-

Thuringowa

Affiliation Council 2 3 2 1 2 Industry 1 1 1 1 2 Association 2 2 2 1 1 Consultant 1 0 1 3 2 Total 6 6 6 6 7

Resident Yes 5 5 5 3 4 No 1 1 1 3 3 Resident Average Years

18.5

44.6

31.0

15.0

7.3

Table 5.5: Respondent Role in Planning Process and Regular Affiliation

Role In Planning Process Regular Affiliation Perceived Influence

Case Study 1- Redland R1 Project Consultant Consultant Intermediate R2 Management- Steering Committee Shire Council High R3 Management- Steering Committee Shire Council Intermediate R4 Consultation Industry Operator Low R5 Steering Committee Local Tourism Authority Intermediate R6 Consultation Local Tourism Authority Low

Case Study 2- Sarina S1 Management- Steering Committee Shire Council High S2 Management- Steering Committee Shire Council High S3 Steering Committee Shire Council Intermediate S4 Steering Committee Local Tourism Authority Intermediate S5 Steering Committee Industry Operator Intermediate S6 Steering Committee Regional Tourism Organisation Low

Case Study 3- Douglas D1 Management- Steering Committee Shire Council High

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D2 Management- Steering Committee Shire Council High D3 Project Consultant Consultant High D4 Steering Committee Local Tourism Authority Intermediate D5 Steering Committee Industry Operator Intermediate D6 Steering Committee Local Tourism Authority Intermediate

Case Study 4- Gold Coast G1 Management- Steering Committee Shire Council High G2 Project Consultant Consultant Intermediate G3 Project Consultant Consultant Low G4 Consultation Local Tourism Authority Intermediate G5 Project Researcher Consultant Low G6 Consultation Industry Operator Intermediate

Case Study 5- Thuringowa T1 Steering Committee State Tourism Authority Low T2 Consultation Regional Tourism Organisation Low T3 Management- Steering Committee Shire Council High T4 Consultation Industry Operator Low T5 Consultation Industry Operator Low T6 Management- Steering Committee Shire Council High T7 Project Consultant Consultant High

5.6.4 Stage Two Content Analysis

Qualitative research generally results in large amounts of rich data, and this was certainly

the case in this research with 31 in-depth interview transcripts. To reduce and transform

the data into an accessible and understandable form, and to draw out various themes and

patterns associated with the participants being studied (Berg, 2001; Dey, 1993;

Neuendorf, 2002), the transcripts were analysed and organised utilising the principles of

content analysis. Researchers subscribing to the constructivist paradigm consider that

data should be analysed through a process of induction, where the researcher constructs

and reconstructs meaning in the data in relation to the research question (Janesick, 2000).

Although statistical analysis programs such as NUD*IST can be employed for certain

types of qualitative data analysis, such software packages are generally not considered

suitable for constructivist approaches and are more applicable to positivist methods, as

the data becomes removed from its contextual origins and from the researchers

constructions and interpretations (Charmaz, 2000).

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A central idea in content analysis is that the many words of the text are classified into

much fewer content categories, which may consist of one, several or many words (Swift,

1996; Weber, 1990). The researcher analysed the data in accordance with the content

analysis method referred to as the thematic framework approach. This approach involves

organizing the data into categories on the basis of themes, concepts or similar features,

from which new concepts are developed, conceptual definitions are formulated and

relationships among concepts are examined (Berg, 2001; Jennings, 2001; Miles &

Huberman, 1994; Neuman, 2000; Sapsford & Jupp, 1996). Identified themes, concepts

and patterns are then considered in light of previous research and theories, so that

generalizations can be established (Berg, 2001). This constant comparative method

requires the comparison of all the items of data that have been assigned to the same

category, with the aim being to clarify what the categories that have emerged mean, as

well as to identify sub-categories and relations among categories (Berg, 2001). The

benefit of this approach is that it provides a useful method for organizing the content

according to some characteristics prior to the application of the next level of data coding

(Baker, 1999). This approach also avoids the more quantitative content analysis practice

of counting words and paragraphs.

The thematic framework approach has been used previously in qualitative tourism

planning research studies. Medeiros de Arajo and Bramwell’s (1999) study used the

framework approach to analyse interview transcripts from stakeholders which involved a

series of systematic steps of becoming familiar with the material, identifying a thematic

framework, rearranging the data according to appropriate thematic references, identifying

key characteristics of the data, and interpreting the overall findings. Similarly Getz and

Jamal’s (1994) study of collaborative tourism planning employed a qualitative procedure

of data analysis, with statements being sorted into broad categories as they emerged and

then further divided into sub-categories.

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5.6.5 Data Coding

To undertake a qualitative research process consideration must be given to the process of

data coding. Using a thematic framework approach to data analysis, data coding is a

somewhat subjective process, however Boulton and Hammersely’s (1996) method of

analysing unstructured data is useful. They suggest closely reading the data with a view

to identifying aspects that may be significant, while noting topics or categories to which

the data relate and which are relevant to the research focus, or are in some other way

pertinent to the research issue. The data is then sorted by these categories, identifying

similar phrases, patterns, relationships, and commonalities or disparities to isolate

meaningful patterns and processes. Codes are generally developed analytically or

inductively from the data.

To further refine the data coding process manifest and latent analysis were also used once

the thematic framework approach had been applied to the data sets. Content analysis in

this context examines not only examines the manifest content of the material analysed

(such as words) but also the latent content (the underlying, implicit meaning of a body of

content) (Baker, 1999). Manifest codes are derived from the examination of those

elements that are physical and countable, and is seen as highly reliable as a word or

phrase either is or is not present in a text (Neuman, 1997). Manifest coding, however

does not take into account the symbolism underlying the physical data or the

connotations associated with the context of words and phrases, therefore requiring a

latent or interpretive reading of the text (Berg, 2001). Manifest attributes of text may be

coded and when supplemented with latent analysis, detailed excerpts from relevant

statements are provided to document the researchers’ interpretations.

It has been noted by some that this approach is a controversial coding method, “it is true

that only the manifest attributes of text can be coded, but this limitation is already implied

by the requirement of objectivity” (Holsti, 1968, p.602), so giving a unit of content the

same attention from both methods is reasonably valid and reliable (Babbie, 1998). By

reporting the frequency of a given concept in the text, researchers can provide a more

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convincing argument (Berg, 2001). To investigate the deeper meanings from the in-depth

interviews that an interpretive constructivist paradigm seeks, manifest analysis is utilized

to determine the extent to which the topics and issues uncovered through the thematic

framework occur, with the latent analysis used to provide detail and attribute meaning to

the stakeholder’s interview responses.

5.6.6 Ethical Considerations

The University of Queensland has strict guidelines relating to ethical approval for

research which the researcher complied with in undertaking this study. These guidelines

extend to the establishment of procedures for the informed consent of research participants,

the protection of participant identity, as well as the appropriate management of research

findings including data storage and member cross checking.

Informed consent involves participants understanding the nature and purpose of the

research and consenting to participate without coercion (Burns, 1997). Participants must

also be made aware of the purpose of the research and how the findings will be used, as

well as any potential risks or harm (de Vaus, 1995). In accordance with ethical

regulations, participants were supplied with an information sheet to be retained for their

record, detailing the nature of the project as well as the contact details of the researcher

and supervisory team should they wish to discuss the project further (Appendix Eight).

In addition participants were provided with a consent form, which was signed and

returned to the researcher before the interviews began (Appendix Nine). Participants

were also made aware both verbally and on the consent form that they were free to

withdraw from the study at any time. In addition participants were notified and their

permission sought for the use of a tape-recorder in the interview. The stated measures

regarding informed consent were deemed sufficient, as the research was not seeking any

type of controversial information from respondents.

Confidentiality and anonymity refers to protecting names and keeping the confidence of

participants in the study. Although qualitative methods preclude total anonymity, as the

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researcher knows the participant, participants in the study have not been individually

identified in any way in the thesis document and were notified as such in the consent

forms and information sheet provided prior to conducting the interview. Particular

responses have only been identified by the respondent code and respondent’s regular

affiliation (Table 5.5). To further ensure confidentiality and protect participant identity,

the records of the research including audio material and interview transcripts have been

stored by the researcher in a password protected computer and locked filing cabinet.

Member cross checking involves giving participants a copy of the interview transcript so

that they have an opportunity to refute or verify the researcher’s interpretation of their

comments. Member checks are seen as an important process due to the subjective nature

of qualitative research, and are also viewed as a form of methodological triangulation

(Schwandt, 1997). To remove researcher bias all participants in the study were provided

with a written copy of the interview transcripts and were asked to check the documents

for accuracy of meaning and to rectify any comments that they felt had been

misinterpreted.

5.6.7 Stage Two: Summary

The second stage of the research involved in-depth, semi-structured interviews with

destination stakeholders in five local tourism case study areas in Queensland. This stage

of the research was designed to examine destination stakeholders’ perceptions of the

local tourism planning process and the extent to which the principles of sustainable

development, strategic planning and stakeholder collaboration underpin the process, as

well as address stakeholder perceptions of strategic visioning. 31 interviews were

conducted with stakeholders from five case study destinations, which were selected

based on the outcomes of stage one of the research. The case study approach was

considered useful for the purposes of this research as the holistic study of several

instrumental cases allows for enhanced understanding and the ability to theorize about a

topic in a broader context.

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In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with stakeholders due to the

constructivist approach adopted for this study. The interviews addressed several themes

derived from the literature review including sustainability, strategic planning, stakeholder

participation and strategic visioning. Respondents were sampled from the five case study

areas utilising a purposive snowball sampling method to identify appropriate stakeholder

participants from the local tourism destination planning process. The researcher analysed

the data in accordance with the content analysis method referred to as the thematic

framework approach. The thematic framework approach to content analysis was initially

applied to analyse the interview transcripts, with data coded utilising the manifest and

latent method to investigate the deeper meanings from the in-depth interviews that an

interpretive constructivist paradigm seeks.

The results of the second research stage are outlined in Chapter Seven. Stakeholder

interview results are presented according to the previously identified themes of

sustainability, strategic planning and stakeholder participation to address the second

research objective of the study. Additionally the interview results regarding stakeholder

perceptions of alternative planning practices and strategic visioning are presented to

address the third research objective, with more detailed results presented for the two

destinations, which have previously undertaken a strategic visioning process.

5.7 Methodological Triangulation

Several methods were employed for this study, including secondary data content analysis

and in-depth interviews conducted within a case study format. The use of multiple data-

gathering techniques to investigate the same phenomenon is defined as methodological

triangulation, which is a process of mutual confirmation of measures and validation of

findings (Berg, 2001; Blaikie, 1991; Decrop, 1999; Jick, 1983; Leedy, 1993). The

advantages of such an approach are the opportunities to refine, broaden, and strengthen

conceptual linkages while offering perspectives other than the researcher’s own (Borman,

LeCompte & Goetz, 1986; Goetz & LeCompte, 1984). Triangulation also assists in

generalizing a study as data can be used to corroborate, elaborate or illuminate the

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research in question (Rossman & Wilson, 1994). Marshall and Rossman (1999) support

such claims as they find that designing a study in which multiple cases, multiple

informants, or more than one data-gathering method are used can greatly strengthen the

study’s usefulness for other settings.

Although it is common for studies with more objectivist assumptions (quantitative) to

triangulate interview data with data gathered from other methods, the triangulation of

research methods was also deemed useful for this study. Even though the study adopted

a constructivist subjective epistemology which assumes an emic (insider) approach, the

content analysis of secondary data is a means of triangulation as it positions the

researcher as an outsider thus being etic in nature (Jennings, 2001). The tourism planning

process evaluation instrument, which was used to guide the content analysis, assisted in

the data triangulation, as it required objective observations of the inclusion of certain

criteria in the planning document. As Simpson (2001) noted in developing the

instrument, items were phrased to require objective evaluations of fact, rather than

subjective expressions of opinion, and considerable care was taken to clearly define any

subjective concepts. Although not proven statistically reliable for a quantitative study,

the care to alleviate subjectiveness and assessor bias was deemed particularly useful for

the current study in assisting the researcher reduce some of the inherent subjectivity in

qualitative research (Mason, 2002).

5.8 Methodological Limitations and Assumptions of the Study

The research is bound within certain delimitations, limitations and assumptions. The

study is delimited by the examination of the tourism planning processes of local tourism

destinations (as defined by Shire Council boundaries) in Queensland. Tourism specific

planning documents including strategic plans, development plans and the like have been

examined, with tourism destination marketing plans excluded from analysis. The study

has not addressed the implementation phase of the plan, only the planning process and

the extent to which it was underpinned by the principles of sustainable development and

the identified prerequisites of strategic planning and stakeholder participation. The study

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was also delimited by an assessment of the most recent planning document published by

the destination. In terms of selecting destinations for further investigation as per the

second research objective, destinations that ranked below 50% were excluded. This was

based on the fact that such destinations had addressed less than half of the evaluation

items relating to the themes under investigation and were therefore considered unsuitable

to provide an informed view on sustainable development, strategic planning and

stakeholder participation (Kaufman & Jacobs, 1993). It is acknowledged that this is a

subjective judgment and 50% was an imposed pass mark, although an arbitrary figure

was set to allow for a more objective selection of case study destinations. However if

more of the tourism planning documents had received a higher score in the evaluation

assessment this ‘pass’ figure may have been adjusted accordingly. A further delimitation

is that interviews were not undertaken with every participant in the planning process, nor

were they conducted with tourism destination stakeholders who, for whatever reason, did

not participate in the planning process under investigation.

The study and research methods are also limited by several factors. Firstly, stage one of

the research was conducted over a six month period in 2004. It is possible that since this

time additional local tourism planning documents have been released that the researcher

did not identify. Although an inherent and accepted challenge of qualitative research it

must also be noted that the researcher’s personal perspectives may have influenced the

interpretation of the planning documents, despite the use of the tourism planning process

evaluation instrument. In terms of the second stage of the research it was noted

previously that it was not possible to interview ordinary residents of the case study

destinations who had participated in the planning process. Due to privacy laws the

researcher was unable to obtain contact details for these participants and the snowball

sampling method also proved unsuccessful in overcoming this limitation. It was

eventually deemed that residents could not participate in the interviews, and the omission

of their perspectives of the planning process is acknowledged as a limitation of the study

given that destination residents are acknowledged as a key stakeholder (Chapter Three).

Although many of the respondents interviewed were also residents of the area (Table 5.4)

133

due to their regular affiliations they all have some level of vested interest in tourism

within their destination.

The study is also set within several assumptions. Firstly it was assumed that a number of

local tourism destinations in Queensland would have a tourism specific planning

document. In addition it was assumed that the destinations alignment with the principles

of sustainability would influence the content of the tourism planning documents. It was

further assumed that it would be possible to identify key aspects of sustainability,

strategic planning and stakeholder participation from the plans and stakeholder

interviews. The final assumption of the study was that participants from the planning

process would be available to participate in the interviews.

5.9 Chapter Five Summary

This chapter has outlined the methodology employed for the research, including both the

underpinning research philosophy and the specific research methods that were used to

collect and analyse the data. Given the objectives of the study, the issues under

investigation and the researcher’s views that the world is socially constructed and the

relationship between the researcher and subject excludes total objectivity, the qualitative-

interpretive methodological approach was detailed including the constructivist

epistemology, relativist ontology and qualitative methodology.

Qualitative research methodologies and processes were discussed prior to outlining the

two-phase research process undertaken for the study: the content analysis of local tourism

planning documents and in-depth interviews with stakeholders from five case study

destinations in Queensland. The sampling strategies and data analysis methods for both

phases of the research were detailed, as were the methodological limitations and

assumptions of the study. Chapter Six details the results of the first research objective,

the analysis of Queensland local tourism planning documents, and Chapter Seven

addresses the second and third objectives of the study, through the results of the in-depth

stakeholder interviews from five case study local tourism destinations.

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Chapter Six

Tourism Planning at the Local Tourism Destination Level

6.0 Introduction

The first research objective of the study was to investigate the current planning practices

of local tourism destinations in Queensland to determine the extent to which the

principles of sustainable development, strategic planning and stakeholder collaboration

are integrated into the tourism destination planning process. To achieve this objective an

analysis of the most recent, publicly available, tourism specific planning documents of

each of the 125 local tourism destinations (Shire Council areas) in Queensland was

undertaken. The evaluation instrument (Table 5.2, Chapter Five) provided the means for

qualitatively assessing the extent to which local tourism destinations in Queensland

addressed the principles of sustainable development, strategic planning and stakeholder

participation in their planning processes as detailed in their respective tourism planning

documents.

This chapter presents the findings from this analysis and is structured into four sections.

To begin with an overview is provided of the number and type of tourism planning

documents for local Queensland tourism destinations. Following this, the overall results

of the plan analysis are presented to illustrate how local tourism destinations in

Queensland on the whole met with the stated evaluative criteria (Table 5.2, Chapter

Five). Thirdly, the individual analysis for each of the local tourism plans is detailed to

demonstrate the extent to which they match the criteria from the tourism planning process

evaluation instrument. From this individual analysis, each of the plans are quantitatively

weighted and ranked in terms of their compliance with the tourism planning criteria, to

allow for the selection of case study destinations as per the second objective of the study.

To conclude, importance-performance analyses are presented for both destinations that

did have a tourism planning document and those that did not, to assess any correlation

that may exist between the importance of tourism to the destination and undertaking local

level tourism destination planning.

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6.1 Audit of Queensland Local Tourism Destination Planning Documents

To meet the first objective of the study an initial audit was undertaken of tourism

planning documents for each of the 125 local tourism destinations in Queensland. As

discussed in the methodology chapter, tourism-specific planning documents were sought

for further analysis referring to and including tourism strategies, tourism development

plans, tourism management plans, and tourism action plans. Tourism marketing

strategies and plans were excluded due to the fact that the focus of the study was

sustainable development, strategic planning and stakeholder participation.

Of the 125 local tourism destinations in Queensland it was found that 30 destinations

(24%) had a tourism specific planning document (Figure 6.1). The vast majority, 65% or

81 of the 125 destinations, did not have a tourism planning document for their local area.

The remaining 14 destinations (11%) were found to be in the process of developing some

form of tourism plan or strategy at the time of audit. Appendix Six provides a full

catalogue of the planning status for each of the 125 local tourism destinations in

Queensland.

Figure 6.1: Local Tourism Destination Planning Documents (n=125)

Plan in Progress

11%Plan24%

No Plan65%

Although it may be expected that the larger, more popular tourist centres (such as Cairns,

Brisbane) would have a tourism planning document Figure 6.2 highlights that there is no

136

correlation between location and whether the destination has a tourism plan. This can

also be seen when contrasting the destinations that do have a tourism plan with those that

do not, against the number of tourism businesses in the area (the importance of tourism to

the destination). Some of the largest tourism destinations in Queensland (in terms of

tourism businesses) such as Brisbane, Cairns and Townsville do not have a local level

tourism planning document. Interestingly destinations such as Pittsworth have a tourism

planning document yet only have 10 tourism businesses. These issues are further

discussed in section 6.5 of this chapter. However as per the research methods,

destinations that do not have a tourism plan were excluded from further analysis.

Figure 6.2: Importance of Tourism to Destination* and Tourism Destination

Planning Documents

Pittsworth

TownsvilleMaroochy

Gold CoastCairns

Brisbane

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

0

>5

>10

>15

>20

>30

>40

>50

>100

>200

>300

>400

>500

>1000

>2000

>3000

Tour

ism

Bus

ines

ses

No. of Queensland Local Tourism Destinations (Shire Council Areas)

Tourismplan

Notourismplan

Source: Office of Economic and Statistical Research, 2005 * Note: Tourism business figures based on combined Accommodation, Cafes and Restaurants and Cultural

and Recreational Services categories (Appendix Ten).

Table 6.1 outlines the catalogue items for the 30 local tourism destinations in Queensland

which have a specific tourism planning document, including the title of the document,

who it was prepared by, what it was prepared for, and the year the document was

137

published. Consultants prepared approximately half of the planning documents and the

local shire council commissioned the vast majority. The final column in Table 6.1

indicates the year that the plan was published and as can be seen, the majority of the

plans (19) were released between 2000-2003. It can also be seen in Table 6.1 and

diagrammatically in Figure 6.3 that 17 of the 30 documents (56%) were identified (titled)

as strategic plans, eight were (27%) general tourism plans or tourism development plans,

and five were tourism action plans (17%).

Table 6.1: Catalogue of Queensland Local Tourism Planning Documents Catalogue

Plan No. Shire Council

Area Title of Document Prepared by Prepared for Year

1 Atherton Atherton Tablelands Strategic Development Plan

Expert panel Not Stated Not Stated

2 Banana Banana Shire Tourism Development Plan

Consultant Shire Council Not Stated

3 Blackall Tourism and Economic Vitalisation Strategy

Consultant Shire Council 2003

4 Bowen Tourism Development Action Plan

Not Stated Not Stated 2003

5 Burdekin Burdekin Shire Tourism Action Plan

Consultant RTO 1999

6 Caloundra Caloundra Tourism Plan Caloundra Tourism Action Plan

Shire Council Not Stated 2002 2002

7 Cardwell Cardwell Shire Tourism Plan Shire tourism taskforce

Not Stated 2002

8 Chinchilla Chinchilla Shire Council’s Tourism Plan

Consultant/ Shire Council

Shire Council 2002

9 Crow’s Nest Crow’s Nest Tourism Development Action Plan

Shire Council Shire Council 2003

10 Douglas Douglas Shire Tourism Strategy

Consultant Shire Council 1998

11 Gatton Gatton Tourism Strategy Consultant Shire Council 1996 12 Gold Coast Gold Coast City Council’s

Tourism Strategy Tourism

Branch-Shire Council

Shire Council 2003

13 Hinchinbrook Hinchinbrook Shire Tourism Development Strategy

Shire Council/ Development

Bureau

Shire Council 1993

14 Ipswich Ipswich City Tourism Strategy Shire Council Shire Council 1997 15 Kilcoy Kilcoy Shire Tourism

Management Plan Consultant Chamber of

Commerce & Industry

2001

16 Laidley Laidley Shire Tourism Strategy

Consultant Shire Council 1997

17 Mareeba Tourism Development Strategy

Not Stated Shire Council 2002

18 Maroochy Tourism Development Consultant Shire Council 2000

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Strategy 19 Mirani Pioneer Valley Tourism

Strategy Consultant Shire Council 1994

20 Mount Isa Mount Isa Tourism Masterplan

Consultant Shire Council 2000

21 Murilla Murilla Shire Tourism Action Plan

Not Stated Not Stated Not Stated

22 Nanango Nanango Shire Tourism Development Action Plan

Consultant Shire Council 2001

23 Noosa Noosa Tourism Plan Noosa Tourism Action Plan

Tourism Board Shire Council 2001 2001

24 Pine Rivers Pine Rivers Tourism Strategy Not Stated Shire Council Not Stated

25 Pittsworth Pittsworth Shire Council Local Tourism Strategy

Shire Council Shire Council 2003

26 Redcliffe Redcliffe Tourism Development Strategy

Consultant Shire Council 2001

27 Redland Redland Shire Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy

Consultant Shire Council 2003

28 Roma Tourism Action Plan Not Stated Not Stated 2000 29 Sarina Sarina Shire Tourism Strategy Shire Council Shire Council 2002 30 Thuringowa Thuringowa Tourism and

Event Strategy Consultant Shire Council 2000

Figure 6.3: Title of Tourism Planning Document (n=30)

Strategic Tourism Plan

56%

Tourism Plan27%

Tourism Action Plan17%

6.2 Analysis of Queensland Local Tourism Destination Planning Documents

Each of the 30 tourism planning documents uncovered in the initial audit were

individually analysed to determine the extent to which they addressed the criteria from

the tourism planning process evaluation instrument, and these results are detailed in the

following section of this chapter. This section presents an overview of the results from

139

this analysis to illustrate how the local tourism planning process and subsequent local

tourism destination plans in Queensland on the whole met with the stated evaluative

criteria (Table 5.2, Chapter Five). These results are presented in both summative tables

and diagrammatically in bar graphs where the evident and somewhat evident criteria

have been combined into a single dimension so that the extent to which the criteria

appear in the plans can be more easily recognised. The results are presented according to

the evaluation instrument: physical, environmental and economic situation analysis;

strategic indicators of destination planning; stakeholder participation and influence in the

planning process; destination community vision and values; and, tourism planning

approach.

6.2.1 Physical, Environmental and Economic Situation Analysis

The physical, environmental and economic situation analysis section included evaluation

items to assess the existing economic, environmental and socio-cultural parameters, as

well as current visitor activity levels in the destination area (Simpson, 2001). Table 6.2

and Figure 6.4 outline each of the 15 evaluation items and whether they were assessed as

evident, somewhat evident or not evident in the 30 tourism planning documents.

Table 6.2: Physical, Environmental and Economic Situation Analysis n=30 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

The planning document describes the area’s principal geographic features.

9 8 13

The planning document describes the main characteristics of the local climate.

5 1 24

The planning document identifies flora and fauna which are unique to the area.

2 2 26

The planning document assesses the resilience and/or fragility of the physical environment.

3 4 23

The planning document identifies current population levels and demographics.

9 2 19

The planning document identifies current land use and ownership patterns in the area.

5 1 24

The planning document identifies the major economic activities in the local area.

14 1 15

The planning document establishes the relative importance of tourism, compared with other industries, to the economic development of the local area.

10 7 13

140

The planning document quantifies the economic benefit of tourism to the area.

7 0 23

The planning document quantifies the employment creation ability of local tourism activity.

6 1 23

The planning document describes the principal tourism sites in the area.

15 2 13

The planning document evaluates the current capacity of tourism plant and infrastructure.

5 4 21

The planning document evaluates the adequacy of business skills possessed by local tourism industry operators.

3 3 24

The planning document includes quantitative analysis of current visitor numbers, length of stay and spending.

14 4 12

The planning document acknowledges the need to integrate local tourism strategies with national policies for tourism development.

5 5 20

Figure 6.4: Physical, Environmental and Economic Situation Analysis (n=30)

17

6 47

116

1517

7 7

17

96

18

10

13

24 2623

1924

1513

23 23

13

2124

12

20

Geogra

phic

featur

es

Loca

l clim

ate

Flora &

fauna

Physic

alen

viron

ment

Popula

tion & de

mograp

hics

Land

use

Econo

micac

tivitie

s

Impo

rtanc

e oftou

rism

Touris

mec

onom

icbe

nefits

Employm

ent

Touris

msit

es

Infras

tructu

reca

pacit

y

Operat

orsk

ills

Visitor

analy

sis

Interg

rate str

ategie

s

Not Evident

Evident/SomewhatEvident

Even with the evident and somewhat evident categories combined, Figure 6.4

demonstrates that most local tourism destinations in Queensland are not conducting a

physical, environmental or economic situation analysis of the destination for their tourism

planning processes. Of the 15 evaluation items, 10 were not evident in the majority of

documents. This is despite the fact that the items in this category are comprised of

descriptive type information on the local area and baseline data and statistics, which are

generally readily available and should be used as a starting point for any consideration of

141

tourism activity and development within a destination (Simpson, 2001). Very few of the

documents included this primary destination information such as local climate, flora and

fauna, the physical environment, population levels and demographics, and land use and

ownership patterns. Similarly including some level of data or discussion on the economic

benefit of tourism, employment creation ability and current capacity of tourism plant and

infrastructure was also missing from the vast majority of documents, which once again is

baseline information that would be expected in a tourism planning document. Evaluation

items that were included in a number of the plans were descriptions of the area’s

principal geographic features and tourism sites, and half of the documents addressed the

relative economic importance of tourism compared to other industries in the area.

6.2.2 Strategic Indicators of Destination Planning

The strategic indicators of destination planning category contains evaluation items to

establish whether the destination has clear goals and objectives to allow for future

planned development (Simpson, 2001). Table 6.3 and Figure 6.5 outline each of the 12

evaluation items and whether they were assessed as evident, somewhat evident or not

evident in the analysed tourism plans.

Table 6.3: Strategic Indicators of Destination Planning n=30 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

The time dimension of the planning process reflects a long term orientation.

16 6 8

The planning document includes broadly based goals related to the nature and scale of future tourism development.

3 5 22

The planning document identifies broadly based goals related to the economic benefits of future tourism development.

4 0 26

The planning document includes broadly based goals related to environmental protection.

8 2 20

The planning document includes broadly based goals related to community values and lifestyle protection.

8 0 22

The planning document includes broadly based goals which emphasize the local benefits of tourism development.

5 0 25

The planning document identifies a range of alternative strategies by which broadly based goals may be

16 0 14

142

achieved. The planning document evaluates each strategy option prior to determining a range of specific objectives.

4 2 24

Specific objectives support previously established broad goals.

2 8 20

Specific objectives selected are based on supply capability as opposed to market demand.

6 12 12

Specific objectives target the equitable distribution of tourism’s economic benefits throughout the local area.

5 3 22

Specific objectives for future tourism activity are quantified and readily measurable.

9 3 18

Figure 6.5: Strategic Indicators of Destination Planning (n=30)

22

84

10 85

16

610

18

812

8

2226

20 2225

14

2420

12

2218

Long termorientation

Futuredevelopment

Economic goals

Environmental goals

Communitygoals

Local benefit goals

Alternativestra

tegies

Evaluatestra

tegy options

Objectives support goals

Supply capability

Distribution of benefits

Objectives quantifia

ble

NotEvident

Evident/SomewhatEvident

As with the situation analysis category, local tourism destinations in Queensland are not

including strategic indicators of destination planning, demonstrating that little attention is

given to strategic thinking and consideration of the future. Of the 12 assessment items in

this category, the majority of the evaluation items (9) were not evident in over half of the

analysed documents. Although certain assessment items were included in a number of

the documents, these items tended to be quite standard, introductory information,

examples include the time scale of the document and providing a range of alternative

strategies to achieve stated goals.

143

Other evaluation items in this category, which are far more pertinent to any consideration

of strategic destination planning, tended to be overlooked and omitted from the

documents. An obvious indicator of a strategic orientation, ‘broadly based goals related

to the nature and scale of future tourism development’ were not even considered in 22 of

the 30 plans. This could effectively mean that the majority of destinations in the study

have not considered what their destination will be like in the future, and therefore would

have no point of reference to measure, even anecdotally, when the destination has

reached a critical stage of development. Similarly, economic, environmental and social

goals related to tourism are not articulated, nor are ‘specific objectives for future tourism

activity are quantified and readily measurable’, which means there is no point of

reference for ensuring goals are reached and more importantly not exceeded or diverted.

6.2.3 Stakeholder Participation and Influence in the Planning Process

The third category in the evaluation instrument, stakeholder participation and influence in

the planning process, assesses the nature and influence of stakeholder involvement in the

process and included 13 evaluation items (Table 6.4). The stakeholder participation

section more specifically included evaluation items to establish the temporal dimension

of community participation, that is whether involvement took place throughout the

process, or at specific stages only, and to measure the extent to which local stakeholder

opinion has been taken into account in the final planning outcomes (Simpson, 2001).

Table 6.4: Stakeholder Participation and Influence in the Planning Process n=30 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

The planning document addresses the relationships between destination stakeholders

20 6 4

Relevant state/federal government agencies took part in the planning process

22 3 5

Relevant local agencies took part in the planning process

6 10 14

Governmental opinions (federal, state, or local) influenced the final strategic direction selected

0 16 14

The relevant regional tourism organization took part in the planning process

6 4 20

The relevant local tourism authority took part in the planning process

6 6 18

144

Regional tourism organization or local tourism authority opinion influenced the final strategic direction selected

0 13 17

The local tourism industry took part in the planning process

7 12 11

Local tourism industry opinion influenced the final strategic direction selected

0 19 11

Other local non-tourism organizations took part in the planning process

5 5 20

Other local non-tourism organization opinion influenced the final strategic direction selected

0 10 20

Ordinary local residents took part in the planning process

7 6 17

Ordinary local resident opinion influenced the final strategic direction selected

0 13 17

As can be seen in Table 6.4, none of the assessment items relating to influence on the

final strategic direction selected were considered evident in the planning documents.

This was due to the fact that unless specifically stated otherwise it was difficult to

determine whether the participation and opinions of a particular stakeholder did in fact

contribute to the final strategic direction selected. Instead these assessment items were

rated as somewhat evident due to the fact that a stakeholders’ participation in the process

(in theory) should have some influence on the final strategic direction selected. However

the in-depth interviews conducted for the second objective of the study are designed to

overcome this limitation and assess the influence of stakeholder groups in the planning

process. The remaining eight assessment items from the stakeholder participation

category, which primarily relate to specific stakeholder group participation, are presented

in Figure 6.6.

Based on the secondary analysis of the planning documents it does appear that local

tourism destinations in Queensland are incorporating the various stakeholder groups into

the tourism planning process and the majority of documents addressed the importance of

relationships and involvement of different destination stakeholders. In terms of specific

stakeholder group participation, the majority of planning processes involved the federal

or state government, and the local tourism industry. The local government was

acknowledged as a participant in just over half of the planning processes, despite the fact

that 22 of the plans were prepared for the local government authority of the area (Table

6.1). Fewer plans discussed the involvement of the relevant Regional Tourism

145

Organisation (10) or Local Tourism Organisation (12), and only 10 plans discussed the

involvement of non-tourism organisations. Although a well acknowledged caveat to

planning processes, and a requirement of the Queensland State Government’s IPA, only

13 of the 30 plans acknowledged the participation and involvement of the local residents

in the tourism planning process.

Figure 6.6: Stakeholder Participation in the Planning Process (n=30)

26 25

1610 12

19

10 13

4 5

1420 18

11

20 17

Stakeh

older

relati

onsh

ips

Federa

l/ Stat

e gove

rnmen

t

Loca

l gov

ernmen

tRTOs

LTOs

Touris

mind

ustry

Non-to

urism

org's

Loca

l resid

ents

NotEvident

Evident/SomewhatEvident

6.2.4 Destination Community Vision and Values

The destination community vision and values section examined the integration of

community values into the planning process and the extent to which the vision for the

future of the destination is in keeping with such values (Simpson, 2001). Table 6.5 and

Figure 6.7 outline each of the six assessment items and whether they were assessed as

evident, somewhat evident or not evident in the tourism plans.

146

Table 6.5: Destination Community Vision and Values n=30 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

The planning document identifies locally important community values

2 3 25

The planning document identifies locally important lifestyle features

2 4 24

The planning document identifies current issues which are critical to residents

2 5 23

The planning document assesses community attitudes to tourism

2 5 23

The planning document assesses the overall quality of life in the area

0 3 27

The planning document includes a vision for the future which aligns with local community values, attitudes and lifestyles

1 6 23

Figure 6.7: Destination Community Vision and Values (n=30)

5 6 7 73

7

25 24 23 2327

23

Communityvalues

Lifestylefeatures

Residentissues

Communityattitudes

Quality oflife

Vision

NotEvident

Evident/SomewhatEvident

The integration of community values into the planning process and developing a vision

for the future of the destination taking into account such values was not a focus of the

local Queensland tourism planning processes analysed for this study. Only seven plans

identified current issues critical to residents, assessed community attitudes to tourism or

included a vision statement that aligned with identified community values, attitudes and

lifestyles. These results can possibly be attributed to the fact that as mentioned in the

previous evaluation category, only 13 of the 30 plans acknowledged the participation and

involvement of the local residents in the tourism planning process. Without the

147

involvement of the local community it would be difficult to gauge their values, issues and

attitudes to tourism in the destination.

6.2.5 Tourism Planning Approach

The dominant tourism planning approach category was added to Simpson’s original

evaluation instrument to investigate the issue raised in the rationale for the study (Chapter

One) that the tourism industry has been slow to adopt sustainability principles and put

them into practice due to the fact that economic motivations are given priority over social

and ecological issues. In assessing the documents for their tourism planning approach,

the goals and objectives as well as strategies and action plans/agendas within the

documents were primarily examined. If for example a plan gave considerable attention to

marketing and promotion it was assessed as addressing economic development and

growth. However such a plan might also include strategies for visitor signage (physical

resources of the destination), and was therefore assessed as having more than one

planning approach. Unlike the previous categories the assessment items within the

tourism planning approach were assessed as either evident or not evident (Table 6.6 and

Figure 6.8). These results are presented in a summative form, however Appendix 11

details each of the 30 planning documents and the specific tourism planning approaches

which were evident. The strategies and/or goals that were evident in the tourism

planning documents, and formed the basis for the assessment of the tourism planning

approach are presented in Figure 6.9.

Table 6.6: Tourism Planning Approach n=30 Evident Not Evident The planning document addresses economic development and growth

28 2

The planning document addresses the physical resources of the destination

26 4

The planning document addresses the impacts of tourism on the natural environment

6 24

The planning document addresses how tourism can benefit the local community

9 21

The planning document addresses the sustainable development of tourism

15 15

148

Figure 6.8: Tourism Planning Approach (n=30)

28 26

6 915

4

24 2115

2

Economic Infrastructure Environment Community Sustainable

NotEvident

Evident

Figure 6.9: Strategies/Goals Evident in the Tourism Plans (n=30)

1 1 1 146

14

2022

27

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Marke

ting&

prom

otion

Prod

uct d

evelo

pmen

t

Infra

struc

turede

velop

menVisit

orse

rvice

s

Commun

ityinv

olvem

en

Enco

urag

ene

wop

erators

Lead

ersh

ip&

man

agem

enCult

ural

protec

tion

Emplo

ymen

tNatu

ral a

ssets

The majority of tourism planning documents analysed for this study, overwhelmingly

exhibited the economic and infrastructure tourism planning approaches (Figure 6.8). The

evidence of these approaches can be attributed to the majority of documents focusing on

marketing and promotion (including market research and advertising), product

development and infrastructure development (including access, transport and signage)

149

(Figure 6.9). Few of the plans exhibited the environmental and community tourism

planning approaches, only six and nine respectively. Even where plans were assessed as

exhibiting the community approach this was limited to issues such as leadership,

community involvement in tourism, and training and education. Half of the plans were

assessed as exhibiting a sustainable approach to tourism planning, however very few of

the plans included any specific strategies or goals related to sustainability. Similarly

some of the plans which touted sustainability goals addressed, for example, only

economic and community issues but not environmental.

6.2.6 Summary: Analysis of Queensland Local Tourism Destination

Planning Documents

This section presented the collective results of the 30 tourism planning documents which

were analysed to determine the extent to which they addressed the criteria from the

tourism planning process evaluation instrument (Table 5.2, Chapter Five). The results of

this analysis have shown that generally the local tourism destinations met with very few

of the stated criteria, and performed quite poorly in each of the five evaluation categories.

The situation analysis category showed that the majority of documents failed to include

descriptive, baseline information and statistics such as characteristics and features of the

local climate, flora and fauna and population levels and demographics. Similarly, the

strategic indicators of destination planning evaluation category highlighted the fact that

strategic thinking and consideration of the future of the destination is not featuring in the

tourism planning process. The third evaluation category, stakeholder participation and

influence in the planning process, showed that while tourism destinations in Queensland

appear to be incorporating a variety of stakeholder groups into the tourism planning

process, some of the key stakeholder groups such as the local destination community are

not being included in all cases. Therefore it is not surprising that few of the analysed

documents included evaluation items from the destination vision and values category,

which assesses the extent to which community values and attitudes are incorporated into

the planning process. The final evaluation category examined the dominant tourism

150

planning approach adopted by destinations and whether one approach was emphasised

more than another, due to criticisms that the tourism industry gives priority to economic

issues. This criticism was proven to be correct based on the documents analysed for this

study which overwhelmingly exhibited the economic tourism planning approach, as

evidenced by an emphasis on marketing and promotion.

To provide further detail of these issues the following section outlines each of the 30

tourism planning documents and their individual compliance with the criteria of the

tourism planning process evaluation instrument.

6.3 Individual Analysis of Queensland Local Tourism Destination Planning

Documents

This section presents the analysis of each of the individual local tourism planning

documents, including key information on the destination’s location (see Figure 1.2,

Chapter One), importance of tourism and rationale for undertaking a tourism plan.

Summative tables are used to illustrate the plans’ compliance with the five evaluative

criteria assessment categories: physical, environmental and economic situation analysis

(situation analysis); strategic indicators of destination planning (strategic planning);

stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (stakeholder

participation); destination community vision and values (destination vision), and tourism

planning approach.

Although the results are presented in a summative form for each of the assessment

categories, Appendix 12 shows the compliance of the 30 planning documents with each

of the 51 assessment items from the tourism planning process evaluation instrument and

Appendix 13 provides further details of the stated rationale, objectives and vision

statement for each of the 30 tourism planning documents. As detailed in section 6.4, each

of the plans were assigned a numerical score based on their inclusion of the evaluative

criteria and ranked accordingly from most to least compliant. The plans are presented in

this section according to this ranking order (Table 6.7).

151

Table 6.7: Ranking Order of Tourism Planning Documents*

Catalogue Plan No.

Shire Council Area

Local Tourism Planning Document

27 29 10 12 30 18 19 815 523 26 2722 14 20 11 13 616 324 28 421 25 917 1

Redland Shire Sarina Shire Douglas Shire Gold Coast City Thuringowa City Maroochy Shire Mirani Shire Chinchilla Shire Kilcoy Shire Burdekin Shire Noosa Shire Redcliffe Shire Banana Shire Cardwell Shire Nanango Shire Ipswich City Mount Isa City Gatton Shire Hinchinbrook Shire Caloundra City Laidley Shire Blackall Shire Pine Rivers Shire Roma Shire Bowen Shire Murilla Shire Pittsworth Shire Crow’s Nest Shire Mareeba Shire Atherton Shire

Redland Shire Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy Sarina Shire Tourism Strategy Douglas Shire Tourism Strategy Gold Coast City Council’s Tourism Strategy Thuringowa Tourism and Event Strategy Tourism Development Strategy Pioneer Valley Tourism Strategy Chinchilla Shire Council’s Tourism Plan Kilcoy Shire Tourism Management Plan Burdekin Shire Tourism Action Plan Noosa Tourism Plan and Action Plan Redcliffe Tourism Development Strategy Banana Shire Tourism Development Plan Cardwell Shire Tourism Action Plan Nanango Shire Tourism Development Action Plan Ipswich City Tourism Strategy Mount Isa Tourism Masterplan Gatton Tourism Strategy Hinchinbrook Shire Tourism Development Strategy Caloundra Tourism Plan and Action Plan Laidley Shire Tourism Strategy Tourism and Economic Vitalisation Strategy Pine Rivers Tourism Strategy Roma Tourism Action Plan Tourism Development Action Plan Murilla Shire Tourism Action Plan Pittsworth Shire Council Local Tourism Strategy Crow’s Nest Tourism Development Action Plan Tourism Development Strategy Atherton Tablelands Strategic Development Plan

* Note: Ranking derived from quantitative evaluation scores (Table 6.38)

6.3.1 Redland Shire Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy

Redland Shire is a coastal urban centre adjoining the Queensland state capital of Brisbane

(Figure 1.2). The Shire has a number of natural attractions and tourism is considered one

of the key economic sectors (Redland Shire Council, 2002). The objective of developing

the Redland Shire Sustainable Tourism Strategy was to produce a practical strategy that

provides a clear way forward for tourism in the Shire, while critically reviewing aspects

that are preventing the Shire from adopting more sustainable directions (ATS Group,

2003; Redland Shire Council, 2003). The Redland Shire strategy was found to include

152

the majority of the evaluation assessment items and was the most compliant of the plans

with the evaluation criteria (Table 6.8). The majority of assessment items were found to

be evident in both the situation analysis and strategic planning categories respectively.

The stakeholder participation items were also assessed as evident and it was stated in the

plan that consultation was undertaken with stakeholders including government, tourism

bodies, operators and members of the community to identify relevant issues and examine

potential opportunities, through stakeholder workshops, meetings and interviews,

questionnaires, public forums and feedback on a discussion paper. A destination vision

was also articulated which addressed the evaluation items from the assessment criteria,

“A pro-active planning approach is recommended to establish a future

sustainable vision within which we can change our current ways of doing

things, within an acceptable time frame, to ensure that what we do now does

not compromise our ability to achieve this vision” (p.16).

Table 6.8: Redland Shire Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy Plan 27 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

10 0 5

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 7 4 1 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

7 6 0

Destination community vision and values (6) 0 6 0 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

*****

All five of the tourism planning approaches were assessed as evident in the Redland Shire

Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy and the document included strategies such as

management structure, product development, infrastructure, transport, marketing,

research and training. The strategy also made numerous references to the issue of

sustainable development such as,

“Allowing unsustainable practices to go unchecked creates a significant

long-term constraint as substantial retro planning then needs to occur to

153

resolve emerging symptoms... and we are often not addressing the

underlying cause” (p.16).

6.3.2 Sarina Shire Tourism Strategy

Sarina Shire is a rural, agricultural community, located on the east coast of central

Queensland approximately 40 kilometres south of Mackay and at the southern tip of the

Great Barrier Reef (Figure 1.2) (Sarina Shire Council, nd). As with many other rural

regions experiencing declining agricultural activity, Sarina Shire Council initiated the

tourism development strategy as part of its overall program for new economic

development in the Shire (Sarina Shire Council, 2002). The Sarina Shire Tourism

Strategy included a number of the assessment items from the evaluation instrument

(Table 6.9), particularly from the situation analysis and strategic planning categories,

although few of the assessment items were evident in the stakeholder participation

category. Items from the destination vision category were evident as can be seen from

the statement,

“Quite often, during the process of community consultations leading to the

preparation of this strategy, individuals have expressed fear of tourism. One

of the objectives of the public consultation was to dispel these fears and to

involve the different groups and individuals in the planning process” (p.58).

Table 6.9: Sarina Shire Tourism Strategy Plan 29 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

11 2 2

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 9 2 1 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

3 6 4

Destination community vision and values (6) 2 2 2 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

*****

154

All of the tourism planning approaches were assessed as evident in the Sarina Shire

Tourism Strategy, including the sustainable tourism planning approach,

“The approach adopted by the strategy constitutes a major departure from

the traditional approach of tourism development through marketing and

promotion in that it strongly advocates the overriding importance of tourism

product development over marketing and promotion as a tool to boost

sustainable tourism development in the sector” (p.3).

6.3.3 Douglas Shire Tourism Strategy

Douglas Shire is located in Far North Queensland, approximately 100 kilometres north of

Cairns (Figure 1.2). Although the shire has a population of 11,000 the area receives in

excess of a million visitors a year due to the fact that over 80% of the Shire is world

heritage listed with both the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and the Wet Tropics

including the Daintree National Park and Cape Tribulation, located in or surrounding the

Shire (Douglas Shire Council, 2004). Tourism is the largest economic sector in the

Douglas Shire and the tourism strategy was prepared to guide tourism planning,

management, marketing and development in the Shire (Douglas Shire Council & Port

Douglas Daintree Tourism Association, 1998). The Douglas Shire Tourism Strategy

contained the majority of the situation analysis and strategic planning assessment items

from the evaluation instrument (Table 6.10), an a number of the stakeholder participation

items were also assessed as evident or somewhat evident, with statements in the plan

such as,

“It is intended that the strategy be guided by the principle of managing and

developing the industry cooperatively with the community” (p.3).

The destination vision items were also assessed as evident or somewhat evident in the

plan,

“The population of the Shire feels a strong sense of attachment to and pride

in the Shire, and a deep appreciation of its natural assets. Indeed, high

environmental values are prominent among the community…ensure

155

implementation of this strategy is consistent with the community’s

aspirations” (p.35).

Table 6.10: Douglas Shire Tourism Strategy Plan 10 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

8 4 3

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 7 1 4 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

5 4 4

Destination community vision and values (6) 2 4 0 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

*

*

*

**

Two of the planning approaches were evident in the Douglas Shire plan including the

physical approach where one of the stated aims in the document is to “ensure community

infrastructure and services are supportive of tourism industry development” (p.38), with a

range of supporting strategies and objectives. The other was the sustainable development

approach with the “goal to ensure the ecological, social, cultural and economic

sustainability of existing and future tourism in the Shire” (p.3).

6.3.4 Gold Coast Tourism Strategy

The Gold Coast is a large coastal urban centre located in the South Eastern corner of

Queensland (Figure 1.2). With a current population in excess of 450,000 the Gold Coast

is the sixth largest city in Australia, but does have a range of natural features such as its

beaches and hinterland, built attractions with several large theme parks and is host to a

range of special events and sports, which have made it a popular destination for several

decades with both international and domestic visitors (Gold Coast City Council, 2004).

Despite it’s long association with tourism, the Gold Coast Tourism Strategy was

developed to provide the first formal Council plan for tourism. The strategy was also

designed to provide a framework for many of the planning and policy outcomes of the

156

Gold Coast Tourism Visioning project (Chapter Four) (Gold Coast City Council Tourism

Branch, 2003). The strategy contained a range of assessment items from the evaluation

instrument (Table 6.11), however despite the fact that the strategy emerged from the Gold

Coast Visioning Project, the majority of the items within the destination vision category

were not evident.

Table 6.11: Gold Coast Tourism Strategy Plan 12 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

9 2 4

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 5 2 5 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

8 5 0

Destination community vision and values (6) 1 1 4 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

**

***

In assessing the tourism planning approach adopted for the Gold Coast tourism strategy it

was evident that the plan predominantly addressed tourism in the context of sustainable

development due to statements such as,

“In an increasingly competitive global environment, a strategic approach

to tourism planning and development is imperative. Yet, history has

shown that economic growth without due regard to its social and

environmental consequences is self-defeating in the longer term. It is

important that Gold Coast City’s tourism industry continues to be

economically, environmentally and socially sustainable” (p.17).

6.3.5 Thuringowa Tourism and Event Strategy

Thuringowa City is located in North Queensland, alongside the large regional centre of

Townsville (Figure 1.2). The Shire comprises both rural and urban areas, with several

sites of interest including the Paluma mountain range that is officially part of the Wet

157

Tropics World Heritage Area (Thuringowa City Council, 2003). The recognition that

such assets could be harnessed to develop a sustainable tourism industry for the Shire

provided the impetus for the Thuringowa Tourism and Event Strategy (ATS Group,

2000). The strategy included a number of the assessment items from the evaluation

instrument (Table 6.12), with a number of items evident from the situation analysis and

strategic planning categories. Within the stakeholder participation category the majority

of items were assessed as evident as,

“During this study a number of stakeholder meetings were held to identify

key issues from the community’s perspective. Attendees included local

government, state government, regional development bodies, tourism

operators and associations” (p.22).

None of the items from the destination vision category were evident in the Thuringowa

strategy.

Table 6.12: Thuringowa Tourism and Event Strategy Plan 30 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

5 3 7

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 6 3 3 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

7 5 1

Destination community vision and values (6) 0 0 6 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

**

*

**

The tourism planning approaches evident in the strategy included the economic,

infrastructure and sustainable development approaches. As stated in the strategy,

“The development of the tourism industry in the city requires a planning

platform based on ecologically sustainable development, to support the

future promotion of the natural environment and the social/cultural

elements (people) as principal marketing themes for the City” (p.18).

158

6.3.6 Maroochy Tourism Development Strategy

Maroochy Shire is located approximately 100km north of Brisbane on the Sunshine

Coast (Figure 1.2), and has a range of tourist facilities and attractions. Maroochy Shire

incorporates the key regional centre of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, and is the

largest contributor of tourism receipts to the Sunshine Coast regional economy

(Maroochy Shire Council, 2002). The objective of the Maroochy Tourism Development

Strategy was to establish the foundation and direction for further development of

sustainable tourism throughout the Shire, with 95 actions grouped under five strategic

objectives (Rob Tonge & Associates, 2000). Despite the document’s strategic intentions,

a number of the items were not evident from the situation analysis or strategic planning

categories (Table 6.13). Stakeholder participation items were generally assessed as

evident or somewhat evident as, “twenty-four interviews were conducted with key

operators in the Shire, industry organisations, developers and Tourism Queensland” (p.9)

and “to gain maximum input from industry and the wider community, a series of eight

workshops were held in key centres” (p.1). Although a vision statement was included in

the plan it did not meet with the evaluative criteria for the destination vision category.

Table 6.13: Maroochy Tourism Development Strategy Plan 18 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

7 3 5

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 3 4 5 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

7 4 2

Destination community vision and values (6) 0 1 5 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

**

***

Two tourism planning approaches were evident in the Maroochy plan. The economic

approach was evident with strategies relating to marketing and information centres, as

159

well as the physical infrastructure approach with transport planning, signage and

attractions/experiences strategies.

6.3.7 Mirani Pioneer Valley Tourism Strategy

Mirani Shire is a rural sugar producing area located west of Mackay in central

Queensland (Figure 1.2) (Mirani Shire Council, nd). The tourism development strategy

was formulated in recognition of the need to develop a new sector that will raise the level

of economic activity and employment (Centre for Applied Economic Research and

Analysis, 1994). The Mirani Pioneer Valley Tourism Strategy did include a number of

the evaluation instrument assessment items (Table 6.14), and although strategic indicators

were generally not included, the majority of items from the situation analysis category

were evident or somewhat evident in the plan. Stakeholder participation items were

addressed as somewhat evident,

“The achievement of the tourism policy will require specific initiatives

that are coordinated with a common sense of purpose in mind. Given that

some sections of the local community may be unenthusiastic about

tourism growth because it impinges on their own preferred recreation

activities, there would need to be community discussion of this proposal”

(p.83).

Table 6.14: Mirani Pioneer Valley Tourism Strategy Plan 19 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

11 2 2

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 1 2 9 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

1 8 4

Destination community vision and values (6) 0 3 3 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

**

*

**

160

The tourism planning approaches that were evident in the Mirani Shire plan were the

economic approach with marketing and promotion strategies and the infrastructure

approach with transport and product development strategies. Evidence of the inclusion of

the sustainable approach in the plan was limited to statements such as “the overarching

tourism policy goal is ecologically sustainable growth” (p.iii), and the quite unique

statement linking sustainability to marketing theory, “a strategy for sustainable

development of tourism in Mirani Shire must acknowledge: place, product, promotion,

price, planning” (p.84).

6.3.8 Chinchilla Shire Council’s Tourism Plan

The Shire of Chinchilla is located at the western extent of the Darling Downs region in

southern Queensland, approximately 300 kilometres north west of Brisbane (Figure 1.2)

(Chinchilla Shire Council, nd). Although the shire is largely reliant on primary

production, the Chinchilla Shire Council’s Tourism Plan was developed in recognition of

tourism’s role as an economic growth option that compliments and builds on the existing

strengths of the Shire (Beeton, Campbell & Carter, 2002). Although the majority of

situation analysis items were included, few of the strategic planning or stakeholder

participation criteria were addressed, and the destination vision items were only assessed

as somewhat evident (Table 6.15).

Table 6.15: Chinchilla Shire Council’s Tourism Plan Plan 8 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

8 1 6

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 4 1 7 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

2 3 8

Destination community vision and values (6) 0 6 0 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

**

**

*

161

Several of the tourism planning approaches were addressed in the Chinchilla tourism

plan. The economic, physical and community approaches were evident with strategies

related to the development of a brand/identity, attraction development, product

development and a category on community priorities.

6.3.9 Kilcoy Shire Tourism Management Plan

Kilcoy is a small rural shire located 94 kilometres west of Brisbane (Figure 1.2) (Kilcoy

Shire, 2003). Tourism is recognized as an important contributor to the future economic

development potential of the Shire and the objective of developing the Tourism

Management Plan was to ensure the strategic planning and management of the sector to

achieve successful outcomes (Insight Operations, 2001). However few of the assessment

criteria from the evaluation instrument were evident in the plan (Table 6.16), although all

of the items within the stakeholder participation category were assessed as either evident

or somewhat evident,

“Community and industry consultation included: a field study, survey,

community forum and interviews with community members, local

businesses and all tourism operators in the Shire, as well as relevant

government departments and agencies” (p.9).

Table 6.16: Kilcoy Shire Tourism Management Plan Plan 15 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

4 0 11

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 2 1 9 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

8 5 0

Destination community vision and values (6) 0 0 6 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

**

**

*

162

The economic, infrastructure and to a lesser extent, community approaches were evident

in the plan with strategies relating to leadership and management, marketing, skills

training and product development. The issue of sustainable development was addressed;

“sustainable economic development and diversification is the key to Kilcoy’s future”

(p.7), although the plan’s strategies and actions points tended not to consider sustainable

development.

6.3.10 Burdekin Shire Tourism Action Plan

The Burdekin Shire is located south of Townsville in North Queensland (Figure 1.2). A

predominantly rural area, the Burdekin Shire actively promotes its tourist offerings,

which are generally based on agricultural production and natural assets (Burdekin Shire

Council, 2005). The Burdekin Shire Tourism Action Plan evolved from a recognition

that an outcomes-based tourism strategy and action plan encompassing all components of

the regional tourism market was needed (AEC Group, 1999). The plan did include a

number of assessment items from the evaluation instrument (Table 6.17), although these

were primarily from the situation analysis category. Several of the assessment items

from the stakeholder participation category were evident in the plan and, although a

stakeholder vision was mentioned in the plan, the vision statement was not articulated in

the document nor were any of the assessment items from the destination vision category.

Table 6.17: Burdekin Shire Tourism Action Plan Plan 5 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

7 5 3

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 2 1 9 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

3 2 8

Destination community vision and values (6) 0 0 6 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

***

**

163

The Burdekin Shire plan incorporated aspects from a number of the tourism planning

approaches. Elements of the economic and physical approaches were evident in the plan,

as were the environmental and sustainable development approaches,

“…ensure the Burdekin’s resources are used in an ecologically

responsible manner as well as maximizing their potential” (p.60).

6.3.11 Noosa Tourism Plan and Action Plan

Noosa Shire is located on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast (Figure 1.2), and as with other

shires council areas of the Sunshine Coast, tourism is one of the key drivers of the local

economy (Noosa Shire Council, nd). The Noosa Tourism Plan and Action Plan were

developed as part of the Noosa Shire Council’s new concept of community-based sector

plans, an outcome of the Queensland State Government’s IPA (Tourism Collaborative

Board, 2001). The plan addressed several of the assessment items from the evaluation

instrument (Table 6.18), with the majority of strategic indicator items included. However

the majority of the situation analysis items were not evident, and items within the

stakeholder participation category were generally evaluated as somewhat evident as the

nature of stakeholder participation was not explicit in the document except for,

“Council developed a tourism collaborative board for the purposes of

developing a plan for tourism in consultation with the industry, the

community, Council and relevant state agencies” (p.2).

Within the destination vision category only one of the items was assessed as somewhat

evident,

“Having identified and discussed key strategic issues and desired

strategic shifts, the Tourism Collaborative Board developed a vision to

express the outcomes sought from the Noosa Tourism Plan” (p.6).

164

Table 6.18: Noosa Tourism Plan and Action Plan Plan 23 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

1 2 12

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 7 3 2 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

1 8 4

Destination community vision and values (6) 0 1 5 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

**

**

*

In assessing the tourism planning approach of the Noosa Tourism Plan four of the five

approaches were evident. Although sustainable development was addressed the

strategies included in the plan related primarily to branding, tourism products and

marketing, improving infrastructure and optimising employment.

“The issue of sustainability is of vital concern to all shire residents. The

need to identify current and future capacity limits, to plan for desirable

outcomes from tourism and to integrate outcomes for this sector with that

of all other sectors is of the first order of importance. For a shire with a

high reliance on tourism, the spectra of unsustainability in tourism would

be an economic and social disaster” (p.6).

6.3.12 Redcliffe Tourism Development Strategy

Redcliffe Shire is located on Queensland’s Moreton Bay, approximately 35 kilometres

north west of Brisbane city (Figure 1.2), and has a range of tourism stock predominantly

catering for the day trip market (Redcliffe City Council, 2000). Council’s motivation for

undertaking the tourism development strategy was to deliver tangible economic

development, business growth and employment creation outcomes for Redcliffe and its

resident and business community (ATS Group, 2001). Although the majority of

assessment items were not evident in the situation analysis category, a number of items in

the strategic planning category were evident or somewhat evident in the plan (Table

165

6.19). In terms of stakeholder participation a number of references were made, although

they did not detail which stakeholder groups were involved,

“The tourism strategy is strongly steeped in stakeholder consultation and

responds to the issues and aspirations of the community…during this

study a number of stakeholder meetings were held to identify key issues

from the community’s perspective” (p.6 & 18).

The destination vision assessment items were generally assessed as evident in the tourism

plan, despite statements referring to selling the vision to the community that suggests that

community vision and values did not necessarily guide the development of the strategy,

“Conduct community presentations driven by Redcliffe City Council that

explain the tourism strategy, sell the vision and outline the benefits”

(p.88).

Table 6.19: Redcliffe Tourism Development Strategy Plan 26 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

2 3 10

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 6 2 4 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

1 0 12

Destination community vision and values (6) 4 1 1 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

***

**

Several of the tourism planning approaches were evident in the Redcliffe tourism

strategy: economic, infrastructure and community, with strategies relating to themes and

marketing images, market awareness, infrastructure and product development, ensuring

community commitment, market research and funding. The planning document was also

assessed as addressing tourism in the context of sustainable development,

“The tourism strategy adopts an ecologically sustainable planning

approach to tourism planning and development” (p.30).

166

Despite statements such as this, the strategic actions raised in the plan relate primarily to

economic development and growth and the physical resources of the destination.

6.3.13 Banana Shire Tourism Development Plan

Banana Shire is situated in central Queensland, 120 kilometres west of the regional centre

of Gladstone (Figure 1.2). Primary production and mining are the Shire’s major

economic sectors, yet tourism is promoted by several organizations (Banana Shire

Council, 2005). The Banana Shire Tourism Development Plan was commissioned by the

Council to coordinate and better utilise existing community, business and council

resources to develop a sustainable local tourism industry (Tourism Potential, 2003).

Although a number of the situation analysis and strategic planning items were included

(Table 6.20), the vast majority from the stakeholder participation section were not evident

in the plan, as although the document states that stakeholder workshops and meetings

were held, it did not state which stakeholder groups were involved. Similarly despite

including a vision statement the assessment items from the destination vision category

were not included in the document.

Table 6.20: Banana Shire Tourism Development Plan Plan 2 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

6 4 5

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 4 1 7 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

1 0 12

Destination community vision and values (6) 0 0 6 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

**

***

Although the planning document makes reference to sustainability, when assessing the

plan in terms of the tourism planning approach, the planning document did not address

tourism in the context of sustainable development. The planning approaches that were

167

evident in the plan were the economic and physical, due to the focus on marketing and

promotion, increasing visitation, improving service and visitor infrastructure.

6.3.14 Cardwell Shire Tourism Plan

Cardwell Shire is part of the Far North Queensland coastal region, situated between

Cairns and Townsville (Figure 1.2). The Shire has traditionally relied on agricultural

outputs, yet as it includes part of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area and adjoins the

Great Barrier Reef, there is recognition that tourism is a sector with high potential

(Cardwell Shire Council, nd). The objective of developing the Cardwell Shire Tourism

Plan was to ensure tourism assets are carefully managed to ensure the long-term

sustainability of not only the tourist industry but also the environmental, social and

cultural values of the Shire (Cardwell Shire Tourism Taskforce, 2003). However few of

the assessment items from the evaluation instrument were included in the document

(Table 6.21). Within the stakeholder participation category the majority of items were

assessed as somewhat evident due to the fact that although the plan was developed

through the “formation of a partnership between the industry, community, Shire Council,

regional tourism organisation and local tourism organization” (p.4), the extent or nature

of their participation on the planning process was not discussed. None of the destination

vision assessment items were evident in the plan despite the fact that a tourism plan

vision is presented.

Table 6.21: Cardwell Shire Tourism Plan Plan 7 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

2 2 11

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 2 2 8 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

1 10 2

Destination community vision and values (6) 0 0 6 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

*****

168

All of the tourism planning approaches were evident to some extent in the Cardwell Shire

Tourism Plan. The planning document did propose sustainable development goals yet

the strategies and actions detailed in the plan related only to marketing, visitor services

and branding. This is also despite the fact that the document’s objective was to “develop

a plan that will focus on partnerships, ownerships and mutual responsibility” (p.4).

6.3.15 Nanango Shire Tourism Development Action Plan

Nanango Shire is located west of Brisbane on the Great Dividing Range of the South

Burnett Region (Figure 1.2), and as with most Shires in the region, primary production is

the economic mainstay (Nanango Shire Council, 2005). The Tourism Development

Action Plan sought to focus on actions that can be undertaken by the Nanango Shire

Council, its operators and wider community, to further the development of tourism as an

economic contributor within the Shire (Rob Tonge & Associates & Proactive Tourism

Services, 2001). The plan did include some of the assessment items, although most items

were assessed as somewhat evident (Table 6.22), particularly in the stakeholder

participation category as the only reference in the plan was,

“Extensive consultation has been undertaken to develop this plan, with

personal interviews held with several of the Shire’s tourism operators,

business group representatives and Councillors and staff of Nanango Shire

Council” (p.1).

Table 6.22: Nanango Shire Tourism Development Action Plan Plan 22 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

2 4 9

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 2 1 9 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

1 8 4

Destination community vision and values (6) 0 0 6 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts

**

*

169

- benefits to local community - sustainable development

**

The tourism planning approaches that were evident within the Nanango tourism plan

were the economic and infrastructure, as evidenced by strategies relating to image and

promotion, product development, visitor services and signage.

6.3.16 Ipswich City Tourism Strategy

Ipswich is located in South-East Queensland, a rapidly growing Shire absorbing much of

the urban spread from Brisbane (Figure 1.2). With several attractions such as museums

and historical buildings, tourism is an important economic sector for Ipswich (Ipswich

City Council, 1997). The aim of the Ipswich City Tourism Strategy was to build a solid

base for the development of a sustainable tourism industry that will supplement the local

economy in the next century while conserving the natural and built heritage and

environmental assets (Ipswich City Council, 1997). Few of the assessment items were

evident in the strategy (Table 6.23), with the vast majority of situation analysis items not

addressed in the document. The stakeholder participation items were generally assessed

as either somewhat evident or not evident as the only reference within the plan to

stakeholder participation was a statement that,

“All identified strategies are the result of consultation with tourism

operators, government departments and other associated bodies via

personal contact and a tourism workshop” (p.4).

Table 6.23: Ipswich City Tourism Strategy Plan 14 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

1 2 12

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 4 2 6 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

1 6 6

Destination community vision and values (6) 0 0 6 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts

*

**

170

- benefits to local community - sustainable development

**

The sole tourism planning approach that was evident in the Ipswich City Tourism

Strategy was the economic development and growth approach. This was evidenced by

strategies relating to tourism product development, marketing, advertising and promotion,

signage and visitor information.

6.3.17 Mount Isa Tourism Masterplan

Mount Isa is located 900 kilometres west of Townsville, on the border of the Northern

Territory (Figure 1.2) (Mount Isa City Council, 2002). Predominantly a mining town,

tourism is seen as an alternative economic sector with development potential, and the

Tourism Masterplan was initiated to ensure haphazard approaches to tourism

development were avoided by establishing a framework that defines appropriate tourism

development (ATS Group, 2000). The masterplan, although quite detailed, met with few

of the evaluation criteria (Table 6.24). Only one item from the stakeholder participation

category was evident, as the only mention of stakeholder participation was an

acknowledgement that the consultants spoke to and/or received information from various

stakeholder groups. In terms of the destination vision category, although a vision

statement was presented in the document, the vision did not meet with the stated criteria.

This was further apparent due to the statement that there is a need to “conduct workshops

to ‘sell the vision’ and obtain commitment from stakeholders in the process” (p.35).

Table 6.24: Mount Isa Tourism Masterplan Plan 20 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

- 1 14

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 3 2 7 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

1 10 2

Destination community vision and values (6) - 1 5 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts

**

*

171

- benefits to local community - sustainable development

**

In assessing the document for the tourism planning approach, three of the approaches

were evident, including the economic, physical and community approaches. Action

strategies in the plan included: marketing themes, access, community commitment and

training and accreditation. Developing tourism in the context of sustainable development

was not addressed in the masterplan.

6.3.18 Gatton Tourism Strategy

Gatton Shire is located in the Lockyer Valley of south east Queensland 90 kilometres

west of Brisbane (Figure 1.2) (Gatton Shire Council, nd). Although predominantly a

farming area, the aim of the strategy was to undertake an analysis of the tourism potential

of the Gatton Shire and make a number of recommendations that would promote the

development of the Shire's tourism industry in the short term (Prideaux, 1997). Despite

being labelled a strategy, the majority of evaluation items were not evident in the Gatton

Tourism Strategy (Table 6.25). Items from the stakeholder participation category were

generally not evident in the plan, which can be attributed to the fact that stakeholder

participation was limited to,

“A SWOT analysis of Gatton’s tourism industry which was undertaken

with major operators and the Shire Council and a survey of 19 operator’s

views of tourism in Gatton Shire” (p.39).

In terms of items from the destination vision category, although it was stated, “the study

team recommends a community based approach to achieve the common goals of tourism

expansion and success” (p.46), none of the assessment items were evident in the plan.

Table 6.25: Gatton Tourism Strategy Plan 11 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

5 0 10

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 2 1 9 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

0 5 8

172

Destination community vision and values (6) 0 0 6 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

**

***

The only two tourism planning approaches that were evident in the plan were the

economic and physical approaches. Action strategies in the plan focused solely on

infrastructure, which included signage, tourist facilities, marketing, regional promotion

and product development.

6.3.19 Hinchinbrook Shire Tourism Development Strategy

Hinchinbrook Shire is located between Townsville and Cairns (Figure 1.2), along the Far

North Queensland coastline marketed as the ‘Great Green Way’ (Hinchinbrook Shire

Council, nd). The Hinchinbrook Shire Tourism Development Strategy was undertaken to

provide a framework for the balanced development of tourism throughout Hinchinbrook

Shire, and develop short and mid-term strategic directions for individual sectors of the

local tourist industry, the community and the Hinchinbrook Shire Council (Hauritz,

1993). With only one item evident in the situation analysis and strategic planning

categories respectively, the strategy was found to have not met with the criteria of the

evaluation instrument (Table 6.26). The majority of items within the stakeholder

participation category were assessed as somewhat evident due to the fact that the plan

made reference to the assistance of specific stakeholder groups but did not further

articulate the nature or extent of their involvement. The assessment items from the

destination vision category were not evident in the plan.

Table 6.26: Hinchinbrook Shire Tourism Development Strategy Plan 13 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

1 2 12

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 1 1 10 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

0 11 2

173

Destination community vision and values (6) 0 0 6 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

**

**

*

Three of the tourism planning approaches were found to be evident in the Hinchinbrook

Shire Tourism Development Plan. These included the economic approach with the

document including strategies related to marketing, product development, seasonality and

maximizing visitor expenditure; the physical approach with strategies of greening the

shire and transport nodes; and the community approach with strategies for community

involvement, including the local tourism association, volunteer program, service awards

and tourism awareness program.

6.3.20 Caloundra Tourism Plan and Action Plan

Caloundra is the most southern shire of the Sunshine Coast, and tourism is an important

economic sector (Figure 1.2) (Caloundra City Council, nd). The purpose of the tourism

plan was to provide direction and focus to the industry, community and the government

by presenting broad strategies to achieve the desired goals, while also focusing on the

active engagement of Caloundra City's community and industry in shaping the City's

tourism future (Caloundra City Council, 2002). Despite these goals and intentions, the

Caloundra Tourism Plan and Action Plan included very few of the assessment items from

the evaluation instrument (Table 6.27). Within the stakeholder participation category the

items were generally assessed as not evident and can possibly be attributed to the fact that

“the plan was prepared by the Caloundra City Council Economic Development Unit in

cooperation with the Caloundra Tourism Taskforce” (p.3). Despite the plan including a

vision statement none of the assessment items from the destination vision category were

evident.

174

Table 6.27: Caloundra Tourism Plan and Action Plan Plan 6 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

1 0 14

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 3 2 7 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

1 4 8

Destination community vision and values (6) 0 0 6 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

*****

In assessing the plan for the tourism planning approach it was found that elements of all

five approaches were evident,

“The Caloundra tourism plan goal is a sustainable tourism industry that

works in strong partnership with the community in pursuit of economic,

environmental and social sustainability” (p.17).

Despite this goal, strategies and actions within the plan focused solely on market

research, advertising and promotion.

6.3.21 Laidley Shire Tourism Strategy

Laidley Shire is a rural community located west of Brisbane in the Lockyer Valley

(Figure 1.2) (Laidley Shire Council, 2004). Tourism has being targeted as a

complementary economic sector and the tourism strategy aimed to provide a

comprehensive analysis of the current position of tourism in the Shire and assess both

deficiencies and possibilities for tourism development (Prideaux & Armstrong, 1997).

Overall the Laidley Shire Tourism Strategy did not meet the evaluation assessment

criteria, with the majority of items not evident for each of the categories (Table 6.28).

175

Table 6.28: Laidley Shire Tourism Strategy Plan 16 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

5 0 10

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 1 1 10 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

0 2 11

Destination community vision and values (6) 0 0 6 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

**

***

Both the economic and infrastructure tourism planning approaches were evident in the

Laidley Shire Tourism Strategy. Economic strategies included marketing, promotion and

distribution, while infrastructure strategies related to upgrading existing and developing

new products for the Shire.

6.3.22 Blackall Tourism and Economic Vitalisation Strategy

Blackall is a remote rural community located west of Rockhampton in Central

Queensland (Figure 1.2) (Blackall Shire Council, nd). Tourism is considered a growing

sector in the Shire and the Blackall Tourism and Economic Vitalisation Strategy was

commissioned to assess strategies for developing tourism (The Stafford Group, 2003).

The majority of the assessment items were not evident in the Blackall Tourism and

Economic Vitalisation Strategy (Table 6.29), with only several items included from the

situation analysis category.

Table 6.29: Blackall Tourism and Economic Vitalisation Strategy Plan 3 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

4 2 9

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 1 0 11 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

0 1 12

Destination community vision and values (6) 0 0 6 Tourism planning approach (5)

176

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

**

*

**

In terms of the tourism planning approach adopted, both the economic and physical

approaches were evident, with action strategies of market positioning, product

development and visitor infrastructure. Although reference was made to sustainable

development, none of the strategies or actions related to sustainability.

6.3.23 Pine Rivers Tourism Strategy

Pine Rivers is a primarily urban Shire located on the outskirts of Queensland’s capital

city (Figure 1.2) (Pine Rivers Shire Council, 2004). The Pine Rivers Tourism Strategy

was developed due to Council’s recognition of the economic potential of tourism in the

Pine Rivers, in terms of diversifying the economic base, creating more locally based

employment and providing a sustainable alternative that neutralises land and resource

conflict in potentially environmentally sensitive areas (Pine Rivers Shire Council, nd).

However the strategy was not found to have met the criteria of the evaluation instrument

(Table 6.30), with only one item evident from the situation analysis and strategic

planning categories respectively.

Table 6.30: Pine Rivers Tourism Strategy Plan 24 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

1 1 13

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 1 0 11 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

0 0 13

Destination community vision and values (6) 0 0 6 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

**

***

177

In terms of tourism planning, two of the five approaches were evident within the plan,

these being the economic and infrastructure approaches. Strategies included promotion

and marketing, increasing volume and variety of tourism stock, increasing visitor length

of stay and visitor services.

6.3.24 Roma Tourism Action Plan

Roma is a rural town located in South-East Queensland’s Western Downs some 480

kilometres from Brisbane (Figure 1.2), and although a predominantly rural area, Roma

does have several natural and built tourist offerings (Roma Tourism Council, nd). The

objective for undertaking the Roma Tourism Action Plan was not articulated in the

document, nor were the criteria from the evaluation instrument with only three items in

total assessed as evident or somewhat evident (Table 6.31) (Roma Shire Council Tourism

Development Unit, 2000).

Table 6.31: Roma Tourism Action Plan Plan 28 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

0 0 15

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 1 1 10 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

0 1 12

Destination community vision and values (6) 0 0 6 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

**

***

The plan was found to have adopted two of the tourism planning approaches, economic

and infrastructure. Strategies in the document included increasing awareness of the

destination, product development, promotion and visitor research.

178

6.3.25 Bowen Tourism Development Action Plan

Bowen is a coastal, agricultural area located in the northern region of the Whitsunday’s in

North Queensland (Figure 1.2) (Bowen Shire Council, nd). Although tourism is a

significant contributor to the local economy due to the area’s natural features and

proximity to the Whitsunday’s, the Bowen Tourism Development Action Plan included

only two assessment items from the tourism planning evaluation instrument (Table 6.32).

Table 6.32: Bowen Tourism Development Action Plan Plan 4 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

0 0 15

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 1 0 11 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

0 1 12

Destination community vision and values (6) 0 0 6 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

*

****

The plan was assessed as solely adopting the economic development and growth tourism

planning approach. This assessment was based on the fact that all of the strategies related

to increasing visitor numbers, enhancing services and product development.

6.3.26 Murilla Shire Tourism Action Plan

Murilla Shire is located west of Brisbane in South-East Queensland (Figure 1.2), and

although the local economy is strongly based on grazing and farming, the area receives a

number of visitors each year (Murilla Shire Council, nd). The objective for undertaking

a tourism plan for the Shire was not articulated in the document, nor were the vast

majority of items from the evaluation instrument (Table 6.33) (Murilla Shire Council,

nd). The only evident assessment item was in the stakeholder participation category.

179

Table 6.33: Murilla Shire Tourism Action Plan Plan 21 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

0 0 15

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 0 1 12 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

1 0 12

Destination community vision and values (6) 0 0 6 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

**

*

**

Three of the tourism planning approaches were evident within the strategic actions of the

Murilla Shire Tourism Action Plan; economic, physical and sustainable development.

Strategies outlined in the document included sustainable tourism products, marketing,

product development, signage and encouraging operators to the Shire.

6.3.27 Pittsworth Shire Council Local Tourism Strategy

Pittsworth Shire is situated 40 kilometres south west of Toowoomba in the eastern

Darling Downs region of Queensland (Figure 1.2) (Pittsworth Shire Council, nd). The

development of a local tourism strategy was based on community acceptance of the need

to do more to encourage and promote tourism in the Pittsworth Shire whilst recognising

that there must be ongoing economic benefits to the community (Pittsworth Shire

Council, 2003). However the Pittsworth Shire Council Local Tourism Strategy was also

assessed as not meeting the majority of items in the evaluation instrument (Table 6.34)

with only one assessment item evident in the strategic planning category.

Table 6.34: Pittsworth Shire Council Local Tourism Strategy Plan 25 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

0 0 15

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 1 0 11 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

0 1 12

180

Destination community vision and values (6) 0 0 6 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

**

***

The tourism planning approaches evident in the plan were the economic and physical.

The strategies and actions included in the document that underpin the evidence of these

approaches include destination awareness and promotion, visitor infrastructure and

product development.

6.3.28 Crow’s Nest Tourism Development Action Plan

Crow’s Nest is located in South-East Queensland, 170 kilometres west of Brisbane on the

Great Dividing Range (Figure 1.2) (Crow’s Nest Shire Council, nd). Although the

objective for undertaking the Crow’s Nest Tourism Development Action Plan was not

articulated in the document, it was noted that the Shire is targeting tourism as an

economic sector (Crow’s Nest Shire Council, 2003). However the action plan included

only one assessment item from the stakeholder participation category (Table 6.35). In

terms of the tourism planning approach only the economic approach was evident with

strategies relating to visitor services and information, industry and product development

and marketing.

Table 6.35: Crow’s Nest Tourism Development Action Plan Plan 9 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

0 0 15

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 0 0 12 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

1 0 12

Destination community vision and values (6) 0 0 6 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

*

****

181

6.3.29 Mareeba Tourism Development Strategy

Mareeba Shire, 64 kilometres west of Cairns, is the largest of the four local government

shires on the Atherton Tableland and includes the popular tourist destination of Kuranda

(Figure 1.2) (Mareeba Shire Council, 2004). The rationale for undertaking a tourism

strategy was to promote the integrated development of tourism across the shire by

establishing appropriate physical and social infrastructure that will support the growth

and evolution of the industry (Mareeba Shire Council, 2002). However the Mareeba

Tourism Development Action plan included only one evident assessment item (Table

6.36).

Table 6.36: Mareeba Tourism Development Strategy Plan 17 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

0 0 15

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 0 0 12 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

1 0 12

Destination community vision and values (6) 0 0 6 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

***

**

Three of the tourism planning approach were evident in the Mareeba plan, the economic,

physical and environmental approaches. The economic approach was evident with

strategies for promotion, development of niche tourism markets and information centres,

with the physical infrastructure strategies including signage, road maintenance and the

upgrade of destination locations and services. The environmental approach was assessed

as evident due to the inclusion of a strategy for access and protection.

182

6.3.30 Atherton Tablelands Strategic Development Plan

Atherton Shire is located on the Atherton Tablelands, 90 kilometres west of Cairns in Far

North Queensland (Figure 1.2). Although an agricultural area, the shire has a number of

natural attractions and is popular with visitors travelling from Cairns (Atherton Shire

Council, 2005). Despite the objective of identifying key issues and objectives for

tourism, as well as a set of strategic outcomes and recommendations (Atherton Shire

Council, nd), the Atherton Tablelands Strategic Development Plan, aside from one item

assessed as somewhat evident, did not meet with any of the evaluation instrument criteria

(Table 6.37).

Table 6.37: Atherton Tablelands Strategic Development Plan Plan 1 Evident Somewhat

Evident Not Evident

Physical, environmental and economic situation analysis (15)

0 0 15

Strategic indicators of destination planning (12) 0 0 12 Stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (13)

0 1 14

Destination community vision and values (6) 0 0 6 Tourism planning approach (5)

- economic development and growth - physical destination resources - natural environment impacts - benefits to local community - sustainable development

**

*

**

In terms of the tourism planning approach adopted for the plan, it was evident that the

document predominantly addressed economic development and growth and to a lesser

extent the physical resources of the destination due to the emphasis on marketing-related

actions such as market segments, visitor experiences, and addressing infrastructure gaps

for the target market. Despite the fact that it was stated on page two of the plan that, “to

overcome these gaps and provide the most effective catalyst to the strong and sustainable

development of tourism on the Tablelands…”, sustainability did not feature in either the

plan’s action points or agenda for the future.

183

6.3.31 Summary: Individual Analysis of Queensland Local Tourism

Destination Planning Documents

This section presented the individual results for each of the 30 local tourism planning

documents analysed for the study. Each of the plan’s inclusion of the five evaluative

categories were presented: physical, environmental and economic situation analysis

(situation analysis); strategic indicators of destination planning (strategic planning);

stakeholder participation and influence in the planning process (stakeholder

participation); destination community vision and values (destination vision), and tourism

planning approach; as well as key information on the destination’s location, importance

of tourism and rationale for undertaking a tourism plan.

Looking at each of the plans individually highlights the collective results presented in

section 6.2, where it was found that the local tourism destinations analysed in this study

met with very few of the stated criteria from each of the five evaluation categories.

Despite the fact that over 56% of the plans were titled ‘strategic plans’ (Figure 6.3), very

few of the plans had strategic orientations, and although many documents included a

vision, these appeared to be standalone statements which did not take into account

broader community values and aspirations for the future of the destination. This section

also highlighted that many of the local tourism destinations are rural areas looking to

tourism to diversify the economic base of the Shire. The implication of these issues are

discussed in Chapter Eight.

6.4 Quantitative Ranking of Queensland Local Tourism Destination Planning

Documents

To provide a more quantifiable and objective assessment of the performance of tourism

planning documents against the criteria of the tourism planning process evaluation

instrument, this section presents the quantitative weighting and ranking of each of the 30

local tourism planning documents analysed. To assist in determining the extent to which

the analysed plans met with the tourism planning process evaluation criteria a ranking

184

method was devised, based on a system developed by Zhang et al (2004), so that a more

objective assessment of the qualitative data can be made.

As discussed in the research methods (Chapter Five, section 5.5.3), the ranking system

was derived from awarding evident items a score of 2, somewhat evident items a score of

1 and items that are not evident in the plans a score of 0. Plans could potentially receive

a score of 30 for the situation analysis category if all 15 items were evident (15

assessment items x a score of 2). The strategic indicators items could potentially achieve

a score of 24 (12 assessment items), stakeholder participation 26 (13 assessment items),

and destination vision and values a score of 12 (6 assessment items). A total score for

each plan based on its compliance with the assessment criteria can be seen in the final

column of Table 6.38.

Table 6.39 ranks the planning documents from highest compliance with the criteria to the

lowest. Each of the plans have been further ranked within 25 percent quartiles and Figure

6.10 demonstrates the number of tourism planning documents within each of the

compliance quartiles.

Table 6.38: Tourism Plans Compliance with Assessment Criteria Shire Situation

Analysis (Max score 30)

Strategic Indicators

(Max score 24)

Stakeholder Participation

(Max score 26)

Destination Vision

(Max score 12)

Total Assessment

(Max Score 92) Score % Score % Score % Score % Score %

Atherton 0 0 0 0 1 3.8 0 0 1 1.0 Banana 16 53.3 9 37.5 2 7.6 0 0 27 29.3 Blackall 10 33.3 2 8.3 1 3.8 0 0 13 14.1 Bowen 0 0 2 8.3 1 3.8 0 0 3 3.2 Burdekin 19 63.3 5 20.8 8 30.7 0 0 32 34.7 Caloundra 2 6.6 8 3.33 6 23.0 0 0 16 17.3 Cardwell 6 20.0 6 25.0 12 46.1 0 0 24 26.0 Chinchilla 17 56.6 9 37.5 7 26.9 6 50.0 39 42.3 Crow’s Nest 0 0 0 0 2 7.6 0 0 2 2.1 Douglas 20 66.6 15 62.5 14 53.8 8 66.6 57 61.9 Gatton 10 33.3 5 20.8 5 19.2 0 0 20 21.7 Gold Coast 20 66.6 12 50.0 21 80.7 3 25.0 56 60.8 Hinchinbrook 4 13.3 3 12.5 11 42.3 0 0 18 19.5 Ipswich 4 13.3 10 41.6 8 30.7 0 0 22 23.9 Kilcoy 8 26.6 5 20.8 21 80.7 0 0 34 36.9 Laidley 10 33.3 3 12.5 2 7.6 0 0 15 16.3 Mareeba 0 0 0 0 2 7.6 0 0 2 2.1

185

Maroochy 17 51.5 10 41.6 18 69.2 1 8.3 46 50.0 Mirani 24 80.0 4 16.6 10 38.4 3 25.0 41 44.5 Mount Isa 1 3.3 8 33.3 12 46.1 1 8.3 22 23.9 Murilla 0 0 1 4.1 2 7.6 0 0 3 3.2 Nanango 8 26.6 5 20.8 10 38.4 0 0 23 25.0 Noosa 4 13.3 17 70.8 10 38.4 1 8.3 32 34.7 Pine Rivers 3 1.0 2 8.3 0 0 0 0 5 5.4 Pittsworth 0 0 2 8.3 1 3.8 0 0 3 3.2 Redcliffe 7 23.3 14 58.3 2 7.6 9 75.0 32 34.7 Redland 20 66.6 18 75.0 20 76.9 6 50.0 64 69.5 Roma 0 0 3 12.5 1 3.8 0 0 4 4.3 Sarina 24 80.0 20 83.3 12 46.1 6 50.0 62 67.3 Thuringowa 13 43.3 15 62.5 19 73.0 0 0 47 51.0

Table 6.39: Ranking of Tourism Planning Documents

Assessment Score

Plan Number Local Destination Area/ Shire Score %

76-100% - - - - 51-75% Plan 27

Plan 29 Plan 10 Plan 12 Plan 30

Redland Sarina Douglas Gold Coast Thuringowa

64 62 57 56 47

69.5 67.3 61.9 60.8 51.0

26- 50% Plan 18 Plan 19 Plan 8 Plan 15 Plan 5 Plan 23 Plan 26 Plan 2 Plan 7

Maroochy Mirani Chinchilla Kilcoy Burdekin Noosa Redcliffe Banana Cardwell

46 41 39 34 32 32 32 27 24

50.0 44.5 42.3 36.9 34.7 34.7 34.7 29.3 26.0

0-25% Plan 22 Plan 14 Plan 20 Plan 11 Plan 13 Plan 6 Plan 16 Plan 3 Plan 24 Plan 28 Plan 4 Plan 21 Plan 25 Plan 9 Plan 17 Plan 1

Nanango Ipswich Mount Isa Gatton Hinchinbrook Caloundra Laidley Blackall Pine Rivers Roma Bowen Murilla Pittsworth Crow’s Nest Mareeba Atherton

23 22 22 20 18 16 15 13 54333221

25.0 23.9 23.9 21.7 19.5 17.3 16.3 14.1 5.4 4.3 3.2 3.2 3.2 2.1 2.1 1.0

186

Figure 6.10: Ranking of Tourism Planning Documents (n=30)

0

5

9

16

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18

76-100%

51-75%

26-50%

0-25%

Table 6.39 and Figure 6.10 quite blatantly highlight that the majority of tourism plans

analysed for this stage of the study did not meet with the tourism planning process

criteria. None of the plans included 75% or more of the evaluation criteria, and only 5

met with over 50% of the criteria. This means that the vast majority of tourism planning

documents (24) included less than 50% of the criteria, which were designed to measure

the extent to which the planning process addressed the principles of sustainable

development, strategic planning and stakeholder participation. Although this issue is

discussed further in Chapter Eight, these figures show that very few local tourism

destinations in Queensland are developing tourism planning documents based on the

principles of sustainability and the identified prerequisites of strategic planning and

stakeholder participation. However the primary objective of numerically weighting and

ranking the plans in terms of their compliance with the tourism planning criteria was to

allow for selection of the case studies for the second objective of the study. As only five

destinations met with over 50% of the criteria, all five were selected for further

investigation (Chapter Seven).

187

6.5 Importance-Performance Analysis of Queensland Local Tourism

Destinations

To conclude, importance-performance analyses were conducted for both destinations that

did have a tourism planning document and those that did not, to assess any correlation

between the significance of tourism to the destination and the development of a local

tourism planning document. While the previous section highlighted the poor

performance of local tourism destinations in Queensland in meeting the sustainability,

strategic planning and stakeholder participation criteria, these were for local tourism

destinations that actually did have a tourism plan. As was outlined in the first section of

this chapter, the vast majority, 76% or 95 of the 125 destinations, did not have a tourism

planning document for their local area, including some of Queensland’s most popular

tourist destinations.

Table 6.40 presents each of the 125 local government area (LGA) profiles, their ranked

score (by compliance quartile) if they had a tourism planning document, and key tourism

figures for the area including the number of tourism businesses, the percentage of tourism

businesses compared to all businesses for both the LGA and Queensland as well as the

number of persons employed in tourism and the percentage of persons employed in

tourism compared to total employment for the LGA. These figures show that for many

destinations tourism is a relatively important economic component and employer of local

residents, yet this does not appear to be an indicator that a planning process has been

undertaken to assess tourism activity within the destination. The complete profile for

each local government area is included in Appendix 14.

Table 6.40: Queensland Local Government Area (LGA) Profiles* Shire Council

Area %

Score LGA

Tourism businesses

% LGA total

businesses

% State tourism

businesses

LGA Tourism employment

(persons)

% LGA total

employment 27- Redland 69.5 183 4.5 2.3 2 828 5.5 29- Sarina 67.3 30 5.1 0.4 195 5.3 10- Douglas 61.9 147 16.3 2.2 1 627 24.2 12- Gold Coast 60.8 1 692 7.8 28.2 14 195 13.5 30- Thuringowa 51.0 62 4.8 1.1 1 396 6.1

188

18- Maroochy 50.0 493 7.2 7.9 5 023 10.1 19- Mirani 44.5 24 4.6 0.4 104 4.9 8- Chinchilla 42.3 18 2.3 0.3 97 4.2 15- Kilcoy 36.9 12 4.3 0.2 59 4.7 5- Burdekin 34.7 71 4.5 1.1 283 3.1 23- Noosa 34.7 286 11.2 4.2 2 522 3.2 26- Redcliffe 34.7 87 4.5 1.4 1 234 6.8 2- Banana 29.3 57 3.7 0.9 342 5.1 7- Cardwell 26.0 44 6.0 0.6 543 11.3 22- Nanango 25.0 18 3.8 0.3 133 5.2 14- Ipswich 23.9 233 4.5 4.0 2 396 4.7 20- Mount Isa 23.9 95 9.1 1.5 724 7.1 11- Gatton 21.7 33 2.9 0.5 305 4.8 13- Hinchinbrook 19.5 54 4.4 0.9 244 4.5 6- Caloundra 17.3 230 6.2 3.7 2 399 9.0 16- Laidley 16.3 14 2.3 0.2 196 4.4 3- Blackall 14.1 19 8.6 0.3 42 5.0 24- Pine Rivers 5.4 184 4.3 3.5 3 299 5.6 28- Roma 4.3 48 8.3 0.7 213 6.9 4- Bowen 3.2 114 6.7 1.7 300 5.4 21- Murilla 3.2 14 3.2 0.2 63 5.1 25- Pittsworth 3.2 10 1.7 0.2 73 3.5 9- Crow’s Nest 2.1 23 3.2 0.4 195 4.3 17- Mareeba 2.1 88 6.1 1.4 565 8.1 1- Atherton 1.0 44 5.4 0.7 242 5.7 Aramac 0 3 2.2 0 6 1.6 Aurukun 0 0 0 0 3 0.7 Balonne 0 31 5.0 0.4 131 4.6 Barcaldine 0 18 10.3 0.3 55 7.2 Barcoo 0 4 5.2 0 13 3.6 Bauhinia 0 6 1.8 0.1 6 1.8 Beaudesert 0 104 4.4 1.9 1 520 6.4 Belyando 0 47 7.3 0.8 239 4.9 Bendemere 0 7 3.3 0.1 3 0.7 Biggenden 0 6 2.4 0.1 12 2.0 Boonah 0 25 3.4 0.3 140 4.1 Booringa 0 15 5.4 0.2 56 6.0 Boulia 0 5 7.9 0.1 10 2.8 Brisbane 0 2 936 5.8 51.8 32 874 7.8 Broadsound 0 18 4.0 0.3 121 3.6 Bulloo 0 11 15.9 0.2 26 5.4 Bundaberg 0 166 6.5 2.8 1 005 6.5 Bungil 0 7 1.8 0.1 28 2.4 Burke 0 7 13.4 6.1 36 3.7 Burnett 0 41 4.1 0.6 500 5.9 Caboolture 0 151 4.1 2.8 2 156 5.2 Cairns 0 645 8.7 10.4 7 598 13.3 Calliope 0 28 3.2 0.5 404 6.3 Cambooya 0 1 0.3 0 86 3.8 Carpentaria 0 13 8.1 0.2 105 5.6 Charters Towers 0 52 10.5 0.8 219 6.9

189

Clifton 0 11 2.6 0.2 23 2.4 Cloncurry 0 19 7.3 0.3 145 5.9 Cook 0 50 10.8 0.8 343 8.3 Cooloola 0 104 4.8 1.7 718 5.9 Croydon 0 4 10.5 0 9 6.7 Dalby 0 48 6.2 0.8 230 5.4 Dalrymple 0 8 2.4 0 66 3.7 Diamantina 0 6 15.0 0.1 26 10.1 Duaringa 0 36 6.5 0.6 168 4.7 Eacham 0 34 6.1 0.5 207 8.4 Eidsvold 0 4 2.8 0.1 12 2.6 Emerald 0 50 5.1 0.8 396 5.9 Esk 0 33 3.4 0.5 212 4.2 Etheridge 0 16 13.0 0.3 67 9.3 Fitzroy 0 16 2.5 0.2 209 5.1 Flinders 0 15 5.5 0.2 58 5.6 Gayndah 0 11 3.4 0.2 40 2.8 Gladstone 0 112 7.4 2.0 708 5.9 Goondiwindi 0 37 7.3 0.5 172 7.5 Herberton 0 12 3.8 0.1 87 5.9 Hervey Bay 0 157 9.3 2.3 1 425 11.0 Ilfracombe 0 1 2.4 0 15 7.7 Inglewood 0 11 2.8 0.1 49 4.2 Isis 0 24 4.7 0.4 109 5.6 Isisford 0 1 1.7 0 6 3.3 Jericho 0 7 4.5 0.1 9 1.7 Johnstone 0 105 6.2 1.6 414 5.1 Jondaryan 0 32 3.4 0.6 220 3.8 Kilkivan 0 9 1.8 0.2 34 2.7 Kingaroy 0 38 3.7 0.6 224 4.5 Kolan 0 11 2.9 0.1 63 4.8 Livingstone 0 92 7.2 1.5 1 068 10.5 Logan 0 126 2.4 4.1 3 615 1.3 Longreach 0 33 8.5 0.5 182 8.4 Mackay 0 250 4.6 4.0 2 191 1.6 Maryborough 0 86 6.0 1.4 595 6.9 McKinlay 0 13 7.0 0.2 57 6.3 Millmerran 0 15 3.6 0.2 10.8 4.8 Miraim Vale 0 14 3.8 0.2 154 9.8 Monto 0 11 2.3 0.1 60 4.9 Mornington 0 2 9.6 0 6 1.6 Mount Morgan 0 5 5.2 0.1 36 5.8 Mundubbera 0 8 2.4 6.0 29 2.1 Murgon 0 12 2.9 0.2 48 2.7 Murweh 0 30 6.0 0.5 127 5.3 Nebo 0 11 6.1 0.2 113 8.0 Paroo 0 12 4.7 0.1 32 3.3 Peak Downs 0 15 5.2 0.2 96 6.0 Perry 0 2 2.1 0 6 3.4 Quilpie 0 8 4.1 0.1 36 5.3 Richmond 0 6 3.6 0.1 44 8.7

190

Rockhampton 0 259 8.6 4.4 1 867 7.7 Rosalie 0 14 2.0 0.3 117 3.3 Stanthorpe 0 46 4.5 0.7 259 6.5 Tambo 0 3 3.7 0 15 4.3 Tara 0 14 2.6 0.2 41 3.1 Taroom 0 7 1.3 0.1 46 3.1 Tiaro 0 8 2.2 0.1 61 4.7 Toowoomba 0 318 7.1 5.4 2 372 6.5 Torres 0 25 9.2 0.4 146 4.0 Townsville 0 412 7.8 6.9 3 751 8.7 Waggamba 0 3 0.8 0 30 1.9 Wambo 0 18 2.0 0.2 81 3.4 Warroo 0 2 1.0 0 9 1.6 Warwick 0 81 4.4 1.2 435 5.2 Whitsunday 0 165 12.8 2.6 1 964 21.7 Winton 0 16 7.5 0.3 79 8.0 Wondai 0 16 3.1 0.3 44 2.9 Woocoo 0 0 0 0 42 3.5

Source: Office of Economic and Statistical Research, 2005 * Note: Tourism business figures based on combined Accommodation, Cafes and Restaurants and Cultural

and Recreational Services categories (Appendix Ten).

It was noted in the individual analysis of tourism planning documents that many of the

local tourism destinations that did have a tourism plan were rural areas looking to tourism

to diversify the economic base of the Shire. Importance performance analysis graphs

(Figure 6.11) further highlight these figures and demonstrate that for the vast majority of

destinations that did have a tourism plan, tourism was not necessarily an important sector

(quadrant 1: low importance-low performance). Many of these were rural destinations

which have identified tourism as a potential sector for economic diversification such as

Kilcoy (plan 15), Banana (plan 2), Nanango (plan 22), Blackall (plan 3), Roma (plan 28)

and Pittsworth (plan 25), and have developed a strategy in an attempt to capitalise on the

potential of tourism.

The current importance of tourism however is not an excuse for poor performance in

sustainable tourism planning. For destinations such as Chinchilla (plan 8) and Mirani

(plan 19) tourism is not an important economic sector (relative to other businesses) but

the destination still realised the value in sustainable development and planning (quadrant

3: low importance-high performance). In comparison, two destinations, Noosa (plan 23)

and Mount Isa (plan 20) ranked within quadrant two (quadrant 2: high importance-low

191

performance). For these destinations tourism is an important economic sector, yet the

destination planning process met with few of the stated evaluative criteria. Douglas was

the only destination analysed for this study where tourism was of high importance and the

planning process was assessed as high performance (quadrant 4).

Figure 6.11: Tourism Planning Document Score x Tourism Business % of LGA

Total Businesses* (n=30)

21925

241

417

28 3

6

2

1611

2213 14

20- Mount Isa

75

15

23- Noosa

26

10- Douglas

12- Gold Coast18- Maroochy

29- Sarina27- Redland30- Thuringowa19- Mirani

8- Chinchilla

Performance

Impo

rtan

ce

* Note: Numbers assigned to local tourism destinations (Table 6.40)

The final importance-performance analysis graph (Figure 6.12) includes each of the 125

local tourism destination areas. As the vast majority of these destinations did not have a

tourism planning document their performance is 0, and are therefore plotted against the

left axis which makes it difficult to differentiate the importance of tourism to the area.

However the graph does highlight that for some destinations without a tourism plan, such

as Brisbane, tourism is a very important economic sector. The implications of these

issues are discussed in Chapter Nine.

192

Figure 6.12: All Local Government Area’s Performance Score x LGA % of State

Tourism Businesses (n=125)

Performance

Impo

rtan

ce

Brisbane

Cairns

Gold Coast

It should be taken into account when considering the importance of tourism to the

destination that the tourism business figures represent a percentage of total businesses in

the region. For example tourism is arguably an important economic sector for the Gold

Coast highlighted by the fact that the region has 28.2% of the state’s total tourism

businesses (Table 6.40), yet the Gold Coast lies within quadrant three (low importance)

due to the fact that tourism businesses represent only 7.8% of all businesses in the Gold

Coast region. Similarly the Cairns region has 10.4% of all tourism businesses in the

state, yet tourism businesses represent only 8.7% of total businesses in the Cairns region.

6.6 Chapter Six Summary

This chapter presented the results of the investigation into the current planning practices

of local tourism destinations in Queensland as per the first research objective. A

qualitative content analysis of the tourism specific planning documents of 30 local

tourism destinations in Queensland was undertaken, to determine the extent to which the

193

principles of sustainable development, strategic planning and stakeholder collaboration

are adopted, with the results presented both collectively and individually. The plans were

also quantitatively weighted and ranked in terms of their compliance with the tourism

planning criteria, with the final section presenting a series of importance performance

analysis graphs.

The results of this investigation clearly demonstrate that on the whole the local tourism

destinations analysed in this study do not meet with the stated evaluation criteria used to

determine the extent to which the principles of sustainable development, strategic

planning and stakeholder collaboration are integrated into the tourism destination

planning process. Although the majority of Queensland destinations do not have a

specific plan to guide tourism development (76%), those destinations that do have a plan

met with very few of the stated criteria. As detailed in the research methods (Chapter

Five, section 5.6.1), five destinations were further investigated for the second and third

objectives of the study: Redland Shire, Sarina Shire, Douglas Shire, Gold Coast City and

Thuringowa City. The results of the 31 interviews conducted with destination

stakeholders in these five case study areas are presented in Chapter Seven.

194

Chapter Seven

Stakeholder Perceptions of the Local Tourism Destination Planning

Process

7.0 Introduction

The second research objective of the study was to examine destination stakeholder’s

perceptions of the local tourism planning process and the extent to which the principles

of sustainable development, strategic planning and stakeholder collaboration underpin

the process. To achieve this objective, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were

conducted with 31 stakeholders from five case study destinations in Queensland. Case

study destinations were selected based on the compliance of their tourism planning

document with the criteria of the tourism planning process evaluation instrument

(Chapter Six). Based on this assessment five local tourism destinations in Queensland

were selected for further investigation for the second objective of the study: Redland

Shire, Sarina Shire, Douglas Shire, Gold Coast City and Thuringowa City.

The third research objective of the study was to consider the applicability of strategic

visioning as a practical planning approach for implementing sustainable development

principles, strategic planning and stakeholder participation into local tourism planning.

Stakeholder perceptions of strategic visioning as a practical approach for addressing

sustainability objectives were also elicited during the 31 in-depth interviews. In addition,

two of the selected case study destinations had previously undertaken strategic visioning

planning exercises and their perceptions and experiences of this process as a tourism

planning approach were analysed.

This chapter presents the results and analysis of the 31 interviews conducted with

stakeholders from the five case study destinations, and is structured into three sections.

Firstly background information and an overview of the key elements of the planning

process for each of the selected case study destinations are presented as detailed in their

respective planning documents. Following this, an overview of the 31 survey

195

respondents is provided, including their role in the planning process, their regular

affiliations within the local tourism destination and their perceived influence on the

tourism planning process. The remainder of the chapter presents the results of the 31

interviews conducted with destination stakeholders in the five case study areas regarding

their perceptions of the local tourism planning process and the extent to which the

principles of sustainable development, strategic planning and stakeholder collaboration

are incorporated, with the results presented according to these thematic categories.

Finally the interview results regarding stakeholder perceptions of alternative planning

practices and strategic visioning are detailed, with additional results presented for the two

destinations which have previously undertaken a strategic visioning process (Redland

Shire and Gold Coast City).

7.1 Overview of the Tourism Planning Documents of the Case Study

Destinations

This section of the chapter presents relevant introductory and background information for

each of the five case study destinations selected for further investigation. In addition, key

aspects from the respective planning documents relating to sustainable development,

strategic planning and stakeholder collaboration are presented to provide a context to the

stakeholder survey responses detailed further in this chapter (Table 7.1). The strategic

visioning process undertaken by two of the destinations is also outlined.

As discussed in the previous chapter, only five of the 30 planning documents of local

tourism destinations in Queensland were found to meet with at least half of the criteria in

the tourism planning process evaluation instrument. These destinations were, in order of

compliance: Redland Shire (69.5%), Sarina Shire (67.3%), Douglas Shire (61.9%), Gold

Coast City (60.8%) and Thuringowa City (51.0%).

196

7.1.1 Redland Shire Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy and North

Stradbroke Island Visioning Project

The Redland Shire is located east of Queensland’s capital city, Brisbane, on the coastline

of Moreton Bay (Figure 1.2). The Shire includes a number of mainland urbanized

suburbs and farming areas, as well as several islands including the popular tourist island

of North Stradbroke. Redland Shire has a population of approximately 124,000 and

along with other regions in the Brisbane area is considered one of the fastest growing

areas in Australia. Due to the fact that the Shire is essentially a ‘suburb’ of Brisbane, it

does not have a strong economic base, although the Council considers key industries in

the shire to be small business, tourism and some farming (Redland Shire Council, 2003;

2002).

In 2003 the Redland Shire Council released the ‘Redland Shire Sustainable Tourism

Development Strategy’. The impetus for the tourism plan reportedly stemmed from the

realisation that tourism had not achieved its full potential, and that there was a need to

establish a five-year strategic framework for tourism development in the Shire (Table

7.1). The Redland Shire tourism strategy gave considerable emphasis to the issues of

sustainable tourism development, and acknowledged the importance of strategic planning

and stakeholder participation as contributing factors to the achievement of a sustainable

tourism sector.

In 2002 the North Stradbroke Island community of Redland Shire developed a

‘Sustainable Tourism Vision’ for the island in partnership with the Redland Shire Council

and Tourism Queensland to provide a framework and set of values to guide the future

development of sustainable tourism on the island (Sustainable Tourism Services, 2002).

Sustainability, strategic planning and stakeholder participation and collaboration were all

strongly integrated into the visioning process. The intention was not to provide a

prescriptive plan but to provide a direction to guide the establishment of strategic

priorities for ensuring the long-term sustainability of tourism on North Stradbroke Island

and ensure that a longer-term perspective informs day-to-day decisions. Community

197

values underpinned the development of the strategic vision with the objective of bringing

about a level of consensus amongst stakeholders about the preferred direction for tourism

on the island.

7.1.2 Sarina Shire Tourism Strategy

Sarina Shire is located on the east coast of central Queensland approximately 40

kilometres south of Mackay (Figure 1.2) and has a population of 10,000. The economy

of the shire is dominated by coal exporting with the region handling 61.5% of total coal

exports from Queensland, although primary production activities such as sugar cane,

beef, tropical fruit and fishing are also important (Local Government Focus, 2002; Sarina

Shire Council, 2002). In 2002 the Sarina Shire Council released the ‘Sarina Shire

Tourism Strategy’, as part of its program to stimulate and diversify economic activity in

the Shire.

The objective of developing a tourism strategy was to ensure that a holistic approach is

adopted where tourism is developed in harmony with the environment and does not

detract from the local character of the area (Table 7.1). Sustainable tourism development

is presented as a key goal of the Sarina Shire Tourism Strategy, with a strategic focus

towards future development. It is also noted within the strategy that there is a need to

move away from the traditional approach of tourism development through marketing and

promotion. The planning process further sought broad based community participation to

produce a strategy that would be owned and driven by the community.

7.1.3 Douglas Shire Tourism Strategy

Douglas Shire is located in Far North Queensland, approximately 100 kilometres north of

Cairns (Figure 1.2) and although the area has a small population it receives in excess of a

million visitors a year due to its proximity to the Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics

World Heritage areas (Douglas Shire Council, 2004). Although traditionally an

agricultural area, tourism is the largest economic sector in the Douglas Shire with

198

significant accommodation stock and tour operations, the majority of which are located in

Port Douglas on the coast. The Douglas Shire Council is renowned for its strong

environmental and conservation values and became the first Green Globe21 benchmarked

community in the Asia Pacific region (Christopher, 2001). Their approach is evident in

the ‘Douglas Shire Sustainable Futures’ strategy (Douglas Shire Council, 2001),

“The Douglas Shire has embarked on a process to become a sustainable

community. Sustainability should underpin everything we do in the Shire. We

are all responsible for safeguarding our environmental and social and economic

requirements- the Shire’s triple bottom line. This document is designed to

ensure that all the decisions we make take into account environmental, social

and economic issues not one in isolation of the others” (p.1).

In 1998 the Douglas Shire Council released the ‘Douglas Shire Tourism Strategy’ to

guide tourism planning, management, marketing and development and achieve their

vision of being recognised as a model of best practice in sustainable tourism (Table 7.1)

(Douglas Shire Council & Port Douglas Daintree Tourism Association, 1998). A

detailed range of principles and goals guided the implementation of the strategy

(Appendix 15). Sustainability goals were a focus of the strategy, with strategic actions

seeking to balance economic, environmental and social considerations. Although the

issue of strategic planning did not feature heavily in the plan, the importance of

stakeholder participation in the tourism planning process was highlighted within the

document, where it is acknowledged that public involvement in tourism planning is

essential and community views need to be taken into account in the development of

tourism as the future of the sector relies heavily on ongoing community support and

involvement.

7.1.4 Gold Coast Tourism Visioning Project and Gold Coast Tourism

Strategy

Gold Coast City is a large South-East Queensland coastal centre (Figure 1.2), and is the

sixth largest city in Australia, with a population of 450,000 (Gold Coast City Council,

199

2004). The Gold Coast has long been acknowledged as Australia’s premier tourist

destination, a position established as a consequence of a fortunate combination of natural

assets and a sequence of visionary entrepreneurs. Although the Gold Coast experienced

quite rapid and successful growth up until the 1990s, a range of indicators highlighted the

fact that Gold Coast was a mature destination showing some early signs of stagnation,

paralleling the experience of coastal tourist resorts elsewhere in the world (Chapter Four).

It was realised that,

“A fundamental shift in the approach to destination planning and

management is necessary if the region is to rejuvenate and remain

competitive in the longer term. However, the pressures of an increasingly

competitive global environment point to the necessity of a more

comprehensive approach that embraces sustainable development principles as

a framework for tourism development” (Faulkner, 2003, p.43).

To address such concerns the Gold Coast Tourism Visioning (GCTV) project was

instigated with the objective of articulating a set of core values and principles that would

underpin a preferred future for the sustainable prosperity of the destination in the medium

to longer term (10 to 20 years). The GCTV project also sought to move from an ad hoc

approach to tourism to one that integrates economic, social and environmental

dimensions to evolve new patterns of managing and growing tourism in a more

systematic and dynamic way (Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Management Research,

nd).

On completion of the GCTV project, the ‘Gold Coast Tourism Strategy’ was released

with the aim of providing the mechanism to implement the findings of the GCTV project

and in so doing ensure the destination remains competitive and sustainable for future

generations (Table 7.1) (Gold Coast City Council Tourism Branch, 2003). The strategy

also sought to provide a framework within Council for the coordination of Gold Coast

tourism through the development of planning and policy outcomes, while assisting

council in prioritising the tourism initiatives for the city. The strategy reiterated the

importance and need for sustainable tourism development, and while not further

200

articulating goals for strategic planning, reference was made to the participation of

internal and external stakeholder groups in the planning process.

7.1.5 Thuringowa Tourism and Events Strategy

Thuringowa City is located along the North Queensland coastline (Figure 1.2), and

borders the much larger regional city of Townsville. The Shire is comprised of urban,

rural and coastal areas, with over 50,000 residents, many of who live in the urban areas of

the Shire (Thuringowa City Council, 2003). While tourism is currently not a major

economic sector for the shire the Thuringowa City Council released the ‘Thuringowa

Tourism and Events Strategy’ in 2000 in an attempt to utilise the area’s significant assets

and attributes for a sustainable tourism industry and destination image for the Shire.

More specifically the objective of the strategy was to establish a planning framework to

guide the development of tourism and related recreational activities in Thuringowa City

(ATS Group, 2000).

The Thuringowa Tourism and Events Strategy contained several references to the

importance of sustainable development, and recognised the need for a planning platform

based on ecologically sustainable development (Table 7.1). Although the strategy did

not refer to strategic planning, stakeholder participation namely community consultation

is acknowledged as a cornerstone of the master planning process.

7.2 Overview of Case Study Destination Stakeholder Participants

This section of the chapter presents an overview of the stakeholder respondents sampled

from each of the five case study destinations. Although this has been previously outlined

in Chapter Five (section 5.6) it is overviewed again here to provide a point of reference

to the stakeholder interview responses presented in the remainder of the chapter. A total

of 31 destination stakeholders were sampled, with respondents including Councillors and

council officers, private sector operators within the tourism industry, members or staff of

tourism associations and similar authorities and consultants who were engaged for the

201

planning process, many of whom were also residents of the destinations under

investigation (Table 7.2). Ordinary residents involved in the local tourism destination

planning process were also sought to participate in the research however as outlined in

the limitations of this study (Chapter Five, section 5.8) their participation was not

possible for a variety of reasons.

Respondent’s regular affiliations as well as their role in the local tourism planning

process are presented in Table 7.2. The final column in this table lists respondent’s

perceived influence over the destination’s tourism planning process under investigation

for this study. During the interviews, respondents were asked to describe the extent of

their influence and involvement in the planning and decision-making process for the

destination. Based on these responses influence has been rated as low, intermediate or

high. The issue of stakeholder influence over the planning process is discussed in

Chapter Eight.

The following section presents the results of the 31 interviews conducted with destination

stakeholders in the five case study areas. Statements by particular stakeholders have

been coded as per the first column in Table 7.3 in addition to the respondent’s regular

affiliation (column three).

202

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203

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204

Table 7.2: Respondent Regular Affiliation and Residence in Destination

Redland Sarina Douglas Gold Coast Thuringowa

Affiliation

Council 2 3 2 1 2 Industry 1 1 1 1 2 Association 2 2 2 1 1 Consultant 1 0 1 3 2 Total 6 6 6 6 7

Resident

Yes 5 5 5 3 4 No 1 1 1 3 3 Respondent average years as resident of destination

18.5

44.6

31.0

15.0

7.3

Table 7.3: Respondent Role in Planning Process and Regular Affiliation

Role In Planning Process Regular Affiliation Perceived Influence

Redland R1 Project Consultant Consultant Intermediate R2 Management- Steering Committee Shire Council High R3 Management- Steering Committee Shire Council Intermediate R4 Consultation Industry Operator Low R5 Steering Committee Local Tourism Authority (LTA) Intermediate R6 Consultation Local Tourism Authority (LTA) Low

Sarina S1 Management- Steering Committee Shire Council High S2 Management- Steering Committee Shire Council High S3 Steering Committee Shire Council Intermediate S4 Steering Committee Local Tourism Authority (LTA) Intermediate S5 Steering Committee Industry Operator Intermediate S6 Steering Committee Regional Tourism Organisation

(RTO) Low

Douglas D1 Management- Steering Committee Shire Council High D2 Management- Steering Committee Shire Council High D3 Project Consultant Consultant High D4 Steering Committee Local Tourism Authority (LTA) Intermediate D5 Steering Committee Industry Operator Intermediate

205

D6 Steering Committee Local Tourism Authority (LTA) Intermediate

Gold Coast G1 Management- Steering Committee Shire Council High G2 Project Consultant Consultant Intermediate G3 Project Consultant Consultant Low G4 Consultation Local Tourism Authority (LTA) Intermediate G5 Project Researcher Consultant Low G6 Consultation Industry Operator Intermediate

Thuringowa T1 Steering Committee State Tourism Authority (STA) Low T2 Consultation Regional Tourism Organisation

(RTO) Low

T3 Management- Steering Committee Shire Council High T4 Consultation Industry Operator Low T5 Consultation Industry Operator Low T6 Management- Steering Committee Shire Council High T7 Project Consultant Consultant High

7.3 Local Tourism Destination Stakeholder Interview Results

The second and third research objectives of the study were addressed through in-depth,

semi-structured interviews with 31 stakeholders from five case study destinations in

Queensland. This section presents the results of the stakeholder interviews for each of

the case studies, with results presented according to the thematic categories derived from

the literature review and used to inform the interview questions (Appendix Seven). For

the second objective of the study the thematic categories are sustainability, strategic

planning, and stakeholder participation. Within each of these themes results are

presented according to the manifest coding undertaken during the data analysis stage.

The sustainability theme includes three factors, the strategic planning theme has five and

the stakeholder participation theme has seven factors. Stakeholder responses have been

collated and are presented in a summative form for each of the respective destinations,

with the various destinations delineated by different colours in the figures. Excerpts

from specific interview respondents are identified by the respondent codes and

respondents regular affiliations (Table 7.3).

206

Stakeholder perceptions of future tourism planning needs and strategic visioning are

presented to address the third objective of the study. Results for this theme include three

factors, with an additional five factors presented from the more detailed results obtained

from the two destinations that have previously undertaken a strategic visioning process

(Redland Shire and Gold Coast City).

7.3.1 Sustainability Theme

Several aspects of sustainable tourism planning and the sustainability concept were

discussed with stakeholders including; their understanding and views of the sustainability

concept, their perceptions as to what motivated the adoption of a sustainable approach to

tourism planning and whether they believe the concept is applied in destination planning

and management practice. Stakeholder responses for this theme have been presented

according to the manifest coding derived from the analysis: sustainability concept,

sustainable planning motivations and concept application.

The first factor arising in the sustainability theme related to stakeholders’ perceptions of

the sustainability concept and its applicability to local tourism destination planning and

management (Figure 7.1).

Figure 7.1: Sustainability Concept (n=31)

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Note: Multiple responses have been coded and non responses excluded

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Stakeholder respondents from each case study destination generally considered that the

concept of sustainability was valuable and important (27),

“It’s such a vital concept that we have to aim to achieve” (S2/Council),

and,

“I mean sustainability does underpin everything. I don’t think that could be

impressed too much” (G6/Industry).

While acknowledging the value of the sustainability concept, concerns were raised by a

number of respondents that the concept had become the latest catchphrase,

“I think that the word itself is just too easily bantered around (R2/Council)”,

and,

“It’s become a bit of a catchphrase though, a bit like ecotourism was the call

of the 90s” (D3/Consultant).

Concerns over the emergence of the word as a catchphrase was seen by some respondents

as adversely impacting on how the term is used in practice with one respondent noting

that, “there’s a lot of lip service to it definitely” (T7/Consultant). Other respondents

claimed that,

“I think we’re now in danger of having watered down the word. People are

using the word in all sorts of contexts and not necessarily the right contexts,

so that can be dangerous” (D2/Council),

and,

“So I think the principles are really important...I think the jargon’s overtaken

us all and sometimes the use of jargon is replacing the real steps towards some

of these things. To me it’s one of those words that’s really, really over

used…but using the word doesn’t mean that you’re thinking about your water

supply” (G4/LTA).

Similarly,

“Personally the worst thing that ever happened to sustainability was it became

a buzz word, because the word itself has been so overused, in so many

different contexts. People are over it. The concept and the meaning behind it

is still there…but the sustainability word now has a cringe factor and people

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really shy away from things that have sustainability in the title because it is so

theoretically and philosophically based” (T1/STA).

Five respondents highlighted issues associated with the practical aspects and

implementation of the sustainability concept,

“A lot of people talk about sustainability but what does that actually mean,

and how do we deliver on that? I think that’s one of the key challenges for

industry and for local governments as we move forward” (G1/Council),

and,

“So the theory is not only good but it has to happen, sustainability, it’s more

than just theory these days, its serious stuff” (G2/Consultant).

It was also noted that particular aspects of the theory were overtly focused upon,

“Even the economic component is sometimes overlooked. I think everyone

gets very excited about the green side of things and they don’t actually see

that you can have the most wonderful ecotourism product but frankly unless

it’s going to stand up and can make a buck don’t even bother starting it up

(R3/Council)”.

The second factor in the sustainability theme related to stakeholders’ perceptions on what

motivated the adoption of a sustainable approach to tourism planning for their destination

(Figure 7.2).

Figure 7.2: Sustainable Planning Motivations (n=31)

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The majority of respondents (20) identified the desire to enhance destination management

practices and manage the impacts of tourism activity on the destination as the motives for

undertaking a sustainable tourism plan,

“We wanted to raise the bar in the whole tourism industry by doing the

strategy and set out a sustainable direction and future” (D2/Council),

and,

“The reason we did the strategy in the first place was because of what was

happening here environmentally, something needed to be done. We knew we

didn’t want to lose that industry but we also didn’t want to spoil and destroy

our assets. We really saw there was a need to do something to get this right”

(D1/Council).

Four respondents noted that the motivation for undertaking a sustainable planning

approach was due to management mandates and planning requirements that sustainability

principles form the basis of the planning exercise,

“There are just too many checks and balances now in terms of environmental

issues, social issues and so on. There are just too many groups out there

monitoring and watching what goes on with government activity, local

government activity, business activity” (D3/Consultant),

and,

“Local governments need to include sustainability assessments. There’s

questions to be asked and sustainability criteria need to be included”

(T6/Council).

It was similarly noted that,

“You have to address the issue of sustainability as there will come a time

you’ve got to be able to stand alone and face the music” (S2/Council).

However a number of the respondents (7) were of the opinion that sustainability was not

the motivating factor in the development of the strategy for their destination,

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“I don’t know what they were trying to do but I doubt they did a plan to be

sustainable” (T2/RTO).

One respondent noted that the terminology had been adopted but not the practice,

“They jumped on the idea of sustainability as it was a key word. Theirs is a

plan which is really more marketing oriented not sustainability oriented”

(R6/LTA),

and,

“I don’t think there was a real sustainability agenda, but there’s definitely lots

of opportunity for increasing sustainability...and doing that is probably risky,

expensive and beyond any one particular region’s capabilities and so all you

get are little experiments in the margins such as the Gold Coast visioning

project. There’s opportunities for it I just don’t see anyone particularly

interested in doing it. Maybe it’s the scale of the investment, maybe it’s the

idea that you need to retro fit sustainability into these places which weren’t

designed for it in the first place” (G3/Consultant).

The final factor arising from the interviews in relation to the sustainability theme was the

extent to which the sustainability concept was perceived to be practically applied in

tourism destination planning and management (Figure 7.3).

Figure 7.3: Sustainability Concept Application (n=31)

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Note: Non responses excluded

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A number of the respondents (13) perceive that the sustainability concept is being applied

in practice, although they note that there is still room for improvement,

“We see examples of it, it’s not perfect…I think its going to get bigger and

bigger. But still trying to get that combination, that’s the trick”

(T7/Consultant),

and,

“There’s attempts to deliver on this triple bottom line and sustainability but

how that happens, again I think that’s a whole learning curve because as we

learn more about what sustainability means and how we can deliver on it,

we’ll do better at doing it” (G1/Council).

However a number of respondents (8) believe that until practical tools are developed the

concept cannot be affectively applied in practice,

“The theory’s good and the practice can be good if the tools are there for

destinations to use. They have to be tools that had some discipline rigor put

into developing the standards and the methods in which they’re going to be

rolled out” (G2/Consultant).

One respondent noted the need for sustainability indicators as a tool for use in practice so

that the concept can be more effectively applied and managed,

“Professionally the experience that I’ve had is, without clear indicators of

environmental sustainability and social sustainability, it’s impossible to even

enter the word in to the debate unless you have a set of indicators that you can

rely on to say ‘are we or are we not entering the danger zone of the long term

future’. Economically we have had indicators for sustainability for a very long

time...what we don’t have is the equivalent in environmental sustainability

and social sustainability. So until you can get clear indicators on

environmental and social sustainability, it’s an absolutely moot point and just

makes it waffle and we end up writing waffle in the actions to say that we do

nice things. Local government, regional tourism organizations, need to be

given the tools to monitor the progress, understand what changes mean, what

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they might mean in the future based on case studies and good indicators, and

then be shown what you can do to respond to it, otherwise it’s just

sustainability philosophy” (T1/STA).

Several respondents (3) identified challenges in the planning process and the nature of the

tourism sector as hindering the application of the sustainability concept.

“If they had involved the community to actually have a sustainable tourism

vision they would actually have a better outcome now than they do”

(R5/LTA),

and,

“I think it’s happening, I’d like to think most people in the industry walk the

walk and just don’t talk the talk. I think it’s happening in parts…and there’s

the good, the bad and the ugly as we know in any industry and tourism is no

different and, I think there are genuine operators out there with sustainable

intent. But I daresay for every good one that’s out there making an effort

there’s another turning a blind eye to some of their own business practices.

Certainly we know its happening” (D3/Consultant).

Several respondents (5) believe the sustainability concept is not being applied in tourism

destination planning and management because of overriding planning schemes in some

destinations,

“I don’t think Douglas is sustainable... and that’s only because the town plan

allowed it to happen and so once it’s in place you can’t go and stop it”

(D5/Industry).

Similarly,

“Council’s always this argument that we can’t do anything about it, you know

controlling development, market forces have got to set the pace. But if you

just allow the building to go on and on and on, we’re just destroying the

landscape, and we’re putting more pressure on things but its not necessarily

drawing more people in, and if it is, if you do start to get increases they are

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coming in at a lower yield so therefore the spend in the economy isn’t as great

as it could be if you kept a control on that” (D6/LTA).

The nature of the destination system was also identified as hindering the application of

the sustainability concept,

“There’s not a chance that the Gold Coast can be sustainable because they

didn’t address transportation to the best of my knowledge. They didn’t address

the mix of the attractions or how they occurred. They looked at some aspects,

but I don’t think they really thought it through” (G3),

and,

“I don’t think there’s anything sustainable about the Gold Coast at the

moment, just the patterns of settlement and road transport and lack of public

transport and I’m not sure there’s many genuine attempts being made in the

tourism industry either” (G4/LTA).

7.3.1.1 Summary: Sustainability Theme

The sustainability theme presented stakeholder respondent’s views on the sustainability

concept and its application in local Queensland tourism destinations. While all of the

respondents considered the sustainability concept to be valuable and important, some

raised concerns that the term had emerged as the latest catchphrase for the sector and

noted a range of problems associated with this trend. Some respondents expressed

concern that the term sustainability had become tourism jargon, which was resulting in

the word being misused and applied to contexts not necessarily associated with

sustainability. Others believed that due to the concept’s strong theoretical and

philosophical associations, practitioners were tending to avoid the term and its associated

meaning. Similarly a number of respondents, although acknowledging the importance of

the concept, highlighted challenges associated with moving beyond the theory and

delivering on the concept. It was also noted that there was a need to ensure a more

balanced view and give due attention to all three aspects of the concept.

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In terms of stakeholder’s views as to what motivated their destination to undertake a

sustainable tourism planning approach, the majority identified the desire to enhance the

destination’s planning and management practices. Other motivating factors were seen to

be the management mandates and planning requirements, which had created a need to

address sustainability criteria particularly in terms of environment and social issues.

However several respondents were of the opinion that a sustainable tourism planning

approach was not the motivating factor in the development of the strategy for their

destination, that it had simply being labelled as such and that the strategy had continued

to focus on more traditional issues such as marketing.

The final issue arising in the sustainability theme was whether respondents perceive the

sustainability concept is applied in practice. A number of respondents were of the

opinion that there are attempts to apply the concept in practice but note that there is still

considerable room for improvement and expect that with time and experience this will

progress. However other respondents believe that until practical tools for implementation

are developed, the concept cannot effectively be applied in practice. The lack of tools

such as sustainability indicators are seen as a barrier and contributing to the misuse of the

concept as destinations currently do not have any basis for measuring their sustainability

efforts. These tools were considered necessary so that local governments and the like can

monitor progress, understand what changes mean, what they might mean in the future

and take the appropriate actions. Other barriers to the effective application of the concept

were seen to be meaningful engagement of the destination community in the planning

process, private sector practices and overriding town planning schemes which in some

instances are perceived as working at cross purposes with destination sustainability

objectives.

7.3.2 Strategic Planning Theme

The second of the themes arising from the literature review and discussed with

stakeholders related to the strategic nature of the local tourism destination planning

process. Issues raised included; perceived motivations, benefits, challenges and

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outcomes of the strategic planning process. Stakeholder responses are presented

according to the manifest coding: strategic planning motivation, strategic framework,

strategic planning benefits, strategic planning challenges and strategic planning scope.

The first factor arising in the strategic planning theme related to stakeholders’ perceptions

of the motivation for their destination to undertake a strategic planning process (Figure

7.4).

Figure 7.4: Strategic Planning Motivation (n=31)

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Note: Non responses excluded

Respondents had various perceptions as to the motivation for their destination conducting

a strategic planning process. A number of respondents (9) identified the need to be

proactive regarding tourism in the destination,

“There was a need to plan out a strategy because you need to have a vision of

how much development is wanted, what type of tourism they wanted”

(D5/Industry),

and,

“I think it was a call to action to change the way we’ve done things, you know

reorganize the way we do things and move forward” (G6/Industry).

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Also identified by respondents was the need to set a direction for tourism in the

destination (7),

“To pull together the information and have a strategic intent of where they’re

going” (R1/Consultant),

and,

“It was seen that we were needing to be developing a strategy to make sure we

were heading in the right direction. It was actually at a time of major

downturn in the sugar industry and the coal industry was not returning a lot to

the community, so there was a perceived need for tourism development to

take place in the Shire” (S2/Council).

Other respondents (3) considered the motivating factor for undertaking a strategic

planning process was to instigate action,

“They wanted to get some actions happening, some runs on the board from the

visioning project” (G2/Consultant),

and,

“It was definitely about setting a longer-term vision and setting some really

short-term actions to get there” (T7/Consultant).

Although one respondent believed action had come at the expense of a strategic

approach,

“It was a strategy so the purpose would have been to think about the longer

term future but I don’t think that was the real aim of the document. They

wanted to get their stakeholders on board, they could see tourism had

potential, and they wanted to get going” (T1/STA).

The fourth identified motivation for undertaking a strategic planning process was to

mange tourism’s impacts on the destination (3),

“I think generally we needed to have some sort of tourism statement for

Douglas Shire because it was impacting significantly” (D3/Consultant),

and,

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“We bought the strategy forward by about two years because of some of the

sort of more urgent issues around tourism issues, tourism development of the

shire and our concerns over where tourism was going...so we brought it

forward for that reason for more of a strategic platform” (R3/Council).

The final motivation identified by respondents was to educate the stakeholder groups

within the destination (4),

“There were things happening in the Shire and we really just wanted to up the

anti of tourism planning in the Shire and put the idea of planning and

management out there to the industry” (D2/Council),

and,

“We needed to know what was going on, judge who the actual tourists were,

which ones were coming, which ones we could attract and relay this back to

the community” (S3/Council).

It was also discussed by one respondent that undertaking the strategic planning process

improved awareness of the tourism sector which assisted in engaging stakeholders in

making more informed decisions about tourism,

“Basically what we were trying to do as part of the strategy was to try to lift

the profile and the understanding within Council about tourism planning and

the tourism market in general, so when transport or when the strategic

planners, the town planners, when parks and recreation go out and develop

another plan they have a recognition of the tourism outcomes that we are

trying to achieve as well, it’s a lot about what the strategy was about”

(G1/Council).

The second factor arising from the strategic planning theme related to the outcomes of the

strategic planning process (Figure 7.5). The majority of stakeholder respondents (18)

considered that as a result of the strategic planning process their destination had a specific

document outlining a directional framework for tourism,

“They’ve got that document, of where they’re going. It’s got to be a positive

so they will never go backwards from that step” (R1/Consultant),

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and,

“We have this document that leads the way towards our objectives”

(S2/Council).

Similarly,

“There was a lot of stuff in it that set out a framework, you know the vision for

tourism in the Shire, setting out a broad direction” (D2/Council).

Figure 7.5: Strategic Outcomes (n=31)

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Note: Non responses excluded

Stakeholder respondents also identified that an outcome of the strategic planning process

was that the destination now has an agenda for action (2),

“There’s a whole load of large almost theoretical achievements and some

more day-to-day ones as well. We wanted to ensure that we were seen to be

on an action agenda. We wanted really to be talking about things we were

going to be doing and I think that was what the industry wanted, I think they

want to see that something’s happening” (R2/Council).

On the contrary, other respondents (10) discussed the fact that in their view the process

had not lead to any strategic outcomes for the destination,

“I think the intent was always to set up a framework and a more strategic way

of thinking about their issues, you know maturing markets and that sort of

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thing but I haven’t seen any evidence of that, that there’s been a major shift”

(G4/LTA).

The third factor arising in the strategic theme related to the benefits derived from the

destination undertaking a strategic planning process (Figure 7.6).

Figure 7.6: Strategic Planning Benefits (n=31)

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Note: Multiple responses have been coded and non responses excluded

Stakeholder respondents identified a range of benefits resulting from the strategic

planning process undertaken for their destination. The first identified benefit was

stakeholder buy-in to the process (8),

“The vision and direction for the future set out in the strategy was useful in

pulling people together, with some sort of direction for the future”

(D2/Council),

and,

“If you don’t have a plan and a direction people don’t see that end gain and

that end gain has to fit with what the community and council want, so I think

if you don’t have that bigger vision its much harder for people to buy into it,

they don’t see why what you’re doing is important” (T7/Consultant).

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Also identified as a benefit of the strategic planning process was the improved destination

management capabilities (4),

“I think probably the best use of the tourism plan is that is has actually

informed our planning schemes, it’s been very useful for land use planning,

that was only a part of what it was intended for” (D1/Council),

and,

“You’ve got to set out how you want the landscape to look, not just how

you’re going to make it look that way” (G1/Council).

The third benefit of the strategic planning process discussed by stakeholder respondents

was that the destination now has a direction for tourism (9),

“We have now a vision for the future direction of tourism in the Shire. This is

what a dynamic document is all about, it’s not something that is done and

finished with, it’s something that you use every day. It doesn’t just sit on a

shelf” (S2/Council),

and,

“Council at least has a strategy and people have the opportunity to fit into that

strategy, they can have some sort of direction for the town” (T2/RTO).

The strategic planning process was also considered beneficial because of the resulting

decision-making capacity for tourism in the destination (4),

“Because you’ve got hard and soft infrastructure in terms of planning so if

you’re going to start talking about hundreds of millions of dollars for roads

and rail and airports and power lines, etc. there’s got to be a planning horizon

of 5, 10, 15, 20 years” (G2/Consultant),

and the ability of the process to lead to the creation of a framework for the future of the

destination (2) and raising awareness of the tourism sector in the destination community

(2).

Conversely the challenges of undertaking a tourism destination strategic planning process

were discussed with stakeholder respondents (Figure 7.7).

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Figure 7.7: Strategic Planning Challenges (n=31)

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Approximately half of the respondents (13) considered the implementation phase of

strategic planning as the greatest challenge of the process. Some respondents considered

implementation to be a challenge due to the scope and detail included in the tourism

planning document,

“It has really just been put on the shelf actually. It’s just that there are a long

list of actions at the back, and we haven’t gone through them and said you do

that, you do that, or rearrange them or resource them” (D1/Council),

and,

“I don’t think it’s going to be picked up, I speak to industry and they don’t

even understand it. So the reality is that they need a translator and that could

be the Council’s role and they need to just keep it nice and simple”

(R1/Consultant).

Other respondents viewed the ability to generate the resources required for

implementation as the greatest challenge,

“We’ve found that unless there are some dollars forthcoming or some funds

identified for roll out of some immediate priority actions so you get some

immediate wins on the board in the first 12 to 18 months for a strategy of that

scale it can almost be seen as a waste of time. If you don’t have a strategy in

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place about how you’re going to resource some of the key priorities people are

going to look at it and say well that wasn’t worth the effort” (D3/Consultant),

and,

“These things are always difficult because unless someone has the money and

desire and effort to implement them its very hard. And to implement

something like this is expensive and the type of things they were talking with

events is very expensive. They need the money, that’s the hardest thing”

(T2/RTO),

with other respondents viewing the timeframe for implementation as a challenge of the

strategic planning process,

“We have come to understand that you can’t achieve all these projects within

the time frame that we had initially thought we would be able to do”

(S2/Council).

The second challenge of the strategic planning process discussed by a number of

respondents (9) was obtaining stakeholder buy-in to the process,

“Unfortunately at the time there was a lot of politics involved and it didn’t get

the majority support on the table for a number of the concepts” (R2/Council),

and,

“The things they really grappled with all the way through this was getting

industry buy in and ownership of it” (G3/Consultant).

Several respondents (3) perceive the main challenge associated with strategic planning is

getting agreement on focus and scope for the process,

“The Council had some really fixed views about development and how to try

and get it funded and we were trying to broaden that picture” (T7/Consultant).

The final factor arising from the interviews in the strategic planning theme related to

stakeholders perceptions of local tourism destination plans and the optimum geographical

scope for a tourism planning exercise (Figure 7.8).

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Figure 7.8: Strategic Planning Scope (n=31)

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Approximately half of the respondents (15) discussed the importance of local level

tourism strategic planning. Inherent local characteristics and agendas were considered

reasons for tourism planning to occur at the local destination level,

“You need to create these images that are unique and tap into your characters

in the area and those wonderful cultural stories you’ve got about your area

because if you don’t, you’re just like any other area, what is it that is going to

distinguish you from all of the others?” (R3/Council),

and,

“A local plan is more relevant because within the region such as Tourism

North Queensland we do see ourselves as being a little different, than Cairns

or whoever. We’ve got more pressing issues especially environmentally with

the Daintree and so forth” (D2/Council).

Other respondents cited a local approach due to the difficulty in maintaining local

identity in a regional level plan,

“The real problem that small communities have with anything that is regional

is that the major centres believe that regions start and finish at their city gates.

This is where it very much becomes a problem for small communities, it’s

always very much a battle, a struggle for identity in the smaller communities

in a regional plan” (S1/Council),

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and in asserting influence over the focus of regional activities and funds distribution,

“I think I see the core of the problem in the structure that has been put in place

for the development of tourism. The dollars flow through to these RTOs and

the dollars flow mainly for marketing and promotion at the expense of tourism

product development and the other problem is that the membership of the

RTOs is mainly the commercial operators and these commercial operators are

more interested in the promotion dollars than anything else. So, as a result

you’ve got all the money directed into that aspect of things, rather than to

further development” (S2/Council).

The need for local level planning was also considered important in generating community

ownership of tourism,

“In terms of getting things happening in a local community you need that

sense of ownership and without it people in the local areas aren’t going to

want to get behind it and want to implement it” (T7/Consultant).

Alternatively a number of respondents (8) discussed the need for planning to occur at a

regional level. A regional planning approach was seen as important for destination

marketing,

“Regional plans are needed especially in terms of marketing a destination, of

course international visitors don’t have any idea about government boundaries

so it’s necessary for regional type marketing to occur” (D1/Council),

and,

“When it comes to tactical things like marketing plans, advertising and

awareness, those things have to be done at a regional level because with 125

local authorities…there’s no way in the world that a visitor from Melbourne,

let alone a visitor from Germany could every come to grips with 125

destinations” (T1/STA).

Regional planning was also considered necessary as major infrastructure developments

occur at a regional level,

“A regional plan is more valuable in that it would set out a broad premise for

preserving transportation, you know scenic corridors or zoning land

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appropriately for protecting national parks and doing that at a broad scale.

Once you get down to the particular areas, if you’re trying to look at that

particular region without looking at that whole picture then I don’t think

you’ve got a chance” (G3/Consultant).

A further eight respondents advocated an integrated planning approach with

consideration of both local and regional issues,

“The big picture is important but the local issues are important as well, so you

have to really think both ways. It could be difficult to co-ordinate if the region

is huge and the awareness then about the local issues could be minimal, and if

you just focus on the local issues you can be just so stuck in the local issues”

(G5/Consultant),

and,

“I think a plan at both levels needs to exist. People don’t come to Thuringowa;

they visit Townsville or North Queensland. Our plan helped Thuringowa to

understand its role in the region, from a product/experience perspective, as

well as from a marketing perspective” (T6/Council).

7.3.2.1 Summary: Strategic Planning Theme

This theme has presented the interview results relating to stakeholder views on strategic

local tourism destination planning. In discussing the motivation for the destination to

undertake a strategic planning process respondents had various perceptions, including the

need for the destination to be proactive in regards to the amount and type of tourism

development, and in an attempt to reorganise and restructure previous management and

planning practices. Others identified motivating factors included setting a strategic

direction and developing actions, and assessing and managing tourism’s impacts on the

destination, while several respondents considered the motivation to have been to educate

the destination’s stakeholder groups so that they could make more informed decisions

about tourism. In terms of outcomes of the strategic planning process the majority of

stakeholder respondents considered that their destination now has a specific document

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outlining a directional framework and action agenda for tourism. However other

respondents discussed the fact that in their view the process had not led to any strategic

outcomes for the destination.

Stakeholder respondents identified a range of benefits derived from the strategic planning

process undertaken for their destination, including stakeholder-buy in to the process.

Also identified as a benefit of the strategic planning process was the improved destination

management capabilities, the strategic direction and the decision-making capacity for the

destination which can guide day-to-day decision-making. In terms of challenges, almost

half of the respondents perceive the implementation phase as the greatest test in the

process. Implementation was viewed as a challenge due to the scope of the document,

the need to generate resources for implementing the plan, and the timeframe for

implementation. Other perceived challenges of the strategic planning process were

considered to be obtaining stakeholder buy-in and achieving some level of democratic

agreement between stakeholder groups on focus and scale.

Considering the optimal geographical scope for a tourism destination plan, half of the

respondents discussed the importance of planning for tourism at the local level. Inherent

local characteristics and a need to differentiate the destination from others were viewed

as reasons for local level planning, as was the need to manage specific local issues such

as sensitive environments, which may not be applicable to other destinations within the

region. Other respondents discussed the difficulty in maintaining local identity in a

regional level plan, which was criticised for overemphasising the regional centre, and in

asserting any influence over the focus of regional marketing activities and funds

distribution. Other respondents discussed that plans should be linked to the funding

source for destination activities, which was seen as the local government authority, as

regional plans tend not to have a sole funding agency. The need for local level planning

was also considered important in generating community ownership of tourism.

Alternatively a number of respondents discussed the need for planning to occur at a

regional level. A regional planning approach was seen as important for destination

marketing because visitors are not aware of local government boundaries. It was also

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seen important as major infrastructure is developed and managed at a regional level. The

remaining respondents advocated an integrated approach to tourism destination planning

which gives consideration to both local and regional issues.

7.3.3 Stakeholder Participation Theme

The concept of stakeholder participation and collaboration in the tourism planning

process was discussed during the in-depth interviews. This theme addressed a range of

aspects and issues associated with multiple stakeholder participation and decision-making

for tourism including the motivations to engage stakeholders in the process, perceived

benefits and challenges of such engagement, and the often cited need to involve residents

of the destination in the planning process. Also discussed were which stakeholder

group(s) should have responsibility for destination planning and the role of the local

government authority in the process. The responses are presented according to the

manifest coding: stakeholder participation motivation, stakeholder participation benefits,

stakeholder participation challenges, local resident participation, local resident ownership

of tourism, stakeholder planning responsibility and local government planning role.

The first factor arising in the stakeholder participation theme was the perceived

motivation for engaging destination stakeholders in the planning process (Figure 7.9).

Respondents had various perceptions as to the motivation for engaging destination

stakeholders in the tourism planning process. A number of respondents (8) identified

stakeholder buy-in to the strategy as the motivating factor,

“You’ve got to do it, you must have that stakeholder buy-in for success”

(R1/Consultant),

and,

“We wanted to have a strategy that was owned by the community, developed

in such a way as it was all about the whole community, so that we had a better

chance when we went to implement” (S1/Council).

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Figure 7.9: Stakeholder Participation Motivation (n=31)

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Note: Multiple responses have been coded and non responses excluded

Also identified as a motivating factor for engagement was the fact that stakeholder

consultation is now considered a caveat to any planning process (5),

“I think it’s an accepted practice these days in all planning, you can’t ignore

those who you identify as your key stakeholders. You want to make sure that

its got as much support, because at the end of the day Douglas Shire Council

had to have a document that largely reflected the aspirations of the Council

but also its industry and its community representative groups”

(D3/Consultant),

and,

“You need to get some credibility for the process so you need other people

involved or it just won’t be considered credible” (T3/Council).

The third identified motivator for engaging destination stakeholders in the planning

process was the need to address attitudes towards tourism in the destination (8),

“There was a need to let everyone know what was happening, what we were

hoping to do and find out what they thought about it all and what they wanted

to see happen” (S3/Council).

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In discussing the motivations for engaging destination stakeholders in the planning

process a number of respondents (9) considered that there was no motivation to engage

stakeholders in the planning process,

“I believe they talked to a couple of people but that it was primarily a

Council document with Councillors involved and I would say they didn’t

consult because they wanted to keep control of it” (G3/Consultant).

The second factor arising in the stakeholder participation theme related to the benefits of

engaging stakeholders in the planning process. Respondents discussed several benefits of

stakeholder participation and involvement in the process (Figure 7.10).

Figure 7.10: Stakeholder Participation Benefits (n=31)

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Respondents identified a range of benefits of engaging multiple destination stakeholders

in the planning process for tourism. The first identified benefit of stakeholder

engagement was the ability to elicit the varied attitudes that exist towards tourism in the

destination (17),

“There are a lot of competing groups in the area, all of which have a tendency

to be a little parochial, their a little precious about their own patch and the

consultant would go out and identify these groups, and work out where their

prejudices lay. I think it is very important that you sit down and not only

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identify but talk to them all and get a feeling of just where they all stood,

before you could start to roll out recommendations” (R3/Council),

and,

“Council couldn’t do it by itself, council are only representing the people and

its one thing to say that you have councils that are elected that are in touch

with everybody but you need to highlight specific issues and you need for

people to comment on those specific issues” (S1/Council).

Also considered a benefit of engagement was the stakeholder buy-in to the process (9),

“The more brainpower you have the better and it’s a document that’s being

agreed to by the community” (S5/Industry),

and,

“You can’t expect anyone to take forward a process if they don’t have

ownership. So they have to come with you on that journey” (R1/Consultant).

A further benefit discussed by two stakeholders was that stakeholder engagement assists

in the implementation phase of the planning process,

“It adds credibility to the whole process and I think a lot of these things you

often know what the answer is before you start, its part of the sales process.

It’s probably cynical but quite often I look for the answer in the consultation”

(T3/Council).

Conversely the challenges associated with engaging destination stakeholders in the

tourism planning process were also discussed with participants (Figure 7.11).

Respondents identified a range of challenges of stakeholder engagement and participation

in local tourism destination planning, including the differing stakeholder values that exist

in a destination community (14),

“In developing that strategy it became pretty obvious that you’ll never get

100% behind it because there are ideas put forward that just had so much

opposition within the community, and the voices really just said, no we don’t

want that” (S5/Industry),

and,

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“I mean there was the usual debates that emerged and they haven’t really

changed in the years since, the conservation sides versus the development

sides” (D2/Council).

Figure 7.11: Stakeholder Participation Challenges (n=31)

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Note: Multiple responses have been coded and non responses excluded

Similarly it was noted that,

“The social groups, the social planners and various institutions within

government weren’t on the same page as we were in terms of developing

business” (D3/Consultant).

One respondent discussed the fact that if stakeholder values don’t align with the direction

sought by decision-makers it makes the process even more difficult,

“If you’re a council who’s looking to go in a particular direction if you don’t

get the answer you want from your local residents after you’ve gone out and

asked the question, you’ve opened a can of worms that you have to deal with.

Sometimes its easier not to ask the question and just do what you want to do”

(T2/RTO).

The second identified challenge of stakeholder engagement and participation in tourism

planning was considered to be issues associated with managing such a process (9),

including the time scale involved in consultation,

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“I don’t know how you engage the residents in the planning process without it

turning into a 12 month exercise and by then you miss the boat in most

instances and it becomes a painful initiative and people are just saying get on

with it” (D3/Consultant),

and ensuring the process is constructive,

“I think it has got to be very carefully set up so that it becomes meaningful

rather than just an opportunity for people to mouth off. Even though they

might believe themselves that what they are saying is good stuff, the reality is

its trivial and if a tourism organization gets involved with that its never going

to get to the big stuff” (D6/LTA).

A further process management challenge related to the need to generate models to

improve the quality of consultation,

“Consultation and community input is very poorly undertaken. People are sick

and tired of surveys and they’re sick and tired of consultants and they’re sick

and tired of workshops at night. You’ve got to do it but we’ve really got to

rethink the whole context of how you engage with communities and I think

we probably need new models” (R1/Consultant),

and,

“It is much easier to get participation in small, local areas than in large urban

areas. You have to use different methodologies to get valid results… in the

small communities, its very easy to talk to people and to hold meetings, you

generally get a good representation. In urban areas, meetings aren’t as

effective, as you generally become over represented by interest groups and

can easily lose balance” (T6/Council).

Apathy was also raised as a challenge in engaging stakeholders in tourism destination

planning (6),

“Apathy is a problem, there is a lack of interest and an unwillingness to

participate. They only turn up if something major is going on. People tend to

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jump up and down if they get left out of these things but then they don’t make

the effort to attend the meetings” (R4/Industry),

and,

“When you’re at the higher level, apathy is a problem, people are interested in

things happening that affect them and that are concrete that they can actually

appreciate what it means. If it’s a strategy to develop experiential tourism in

Thuringowa it doesn’t mean anything to anyone, it doesn’t mean as much,

whereas if that goes down to the next level, to specific projects and what you

could imagine you would see, the level of involvement goes up” (T3/Council).

Apathy was also seen as a challenge in generating ownership of tourism in the

destination,

“If people don’t get involved and don’t take an interest or some sort of

ownership it makes it hard” (S3/Council).

The final challenge identified by respondents of engaging destination stakeholders in

planning related to education (3),

“For residents I think there needs to be a certain level of education about the

tourism industry. I think people assume because they are tourists usually once

a year that they know exactly what the industry wants and that’s sometimes

very different to what the actual industry wants” (G1/Council).

The fourth factor in the stakeholder participation theme was the role of local residents

and their participation in the planning process (Figure 7.12). A number of respondents

discussed that local residents have a democratic right to participate in any planning and

decision-making activities undertaken within their area (14),

“Everyone should be given the opportunity and that’s the great thing

nowadays where government can’t just run off and make decisions, I’m sure

they might try but they’ve got to be accountable” (S4/LTA),

and,

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“I think Council still needs to be resident driven and I think that the people

that are elected need to make it their business to give everyone the

opportunity to have their say” (T5/Industry).

Figure 7.12: Local Resident Participation (n=31)

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A number of stakeholders discussed the fact that local residents have a right to be

involved because they are impacted upon by any tourism activity in the destination,

“They’re the ones that provide a lot of the beds for visitors. They’re the ones

that provide interesting stories. They’re the ones that work in the shops.

They’re the ones that have to put up with visitors who you know are traipsing

on their turf” (R2/Council),

and,

“I think it’s important because very often tourism properties are running side

by side with private properties. Tourism activities are infringing on their

everyday life, so it’s really important for them to have that input”

(D5/Industry).

In discussing the role of local residents several of the respondents identified the fact that

resident involvement is now considered a prerequisite in the process (10),

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“All the Government departments require you do it so there is a body of

theory which says you should do it” (R1/Consultant),

and,

“Without them the process would not be worth doing, it wouldn’t stand up”

(S1/Council),

while other respondents discussed that although residents should have a role in tourism

planning and decision-making, apathy hindered this (3) as did vocal minorities

overtaking the process (2).

Emerging from the consideration of local resident participation in tourism planning it was

also discussed whether local resident participation in tourism planning contributes to

resident’s ownership and acceptance of tourism within the destination community (Figure

7.13).

Figure 7.13: Local Resident Ownership of Tourism (n=31)

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Note: Multiple responses have been coded and non responses excluded

Respondents generally perceived that local resident involvement did lead to greater

ownership and acceptance of tourism, and a number of respondents discussed the value of

generating ownership (8),

“When it’s being opened up to the community it becomes their project, they

take ownership, and then they support it. Whereas if you got someone in who

236

says we’re going to develop this they don’t have any personal connection to it

and you know if they don’t support you, well you’re in trouble” (S3/Council),

and,

“Having participation definitely makes it stronger, that sense of ownership is

definitely what we try to pitch for people, because Council can’t implement it.

It really is up to the local areas to get behind it and want to implement it.

Because it’s the local people that are going to have to be willing to wear a

little bit of a loss and I think people are always happier with decisions if they

feel they’ve been consulted and do get ownership, even though someone

ultimately has to make the decision and that’s usually council. Where

communities feel most passionate about it usually is that if they don’t feel

consultation was done right, they jack up and try to damage projects. When

they feel they’ve had a say even if they don’t agree totally with the proposals

they often become good supporters” (T7/Consultant).

However the majority of respondents (16) focused on the challenges associated with

attempting to enhance community ownership and acceptance of tourism, namely the fact

that such diverse views towards tourism exist within a destination community and

participation cannot always overcome this. Some respondents discussed the extremities

in opinions within a destination,

“Here it’s a very emotive issue, it’s polarized the community” (D6/LTA),

and,

“You are always going to have anti-development and pro-development and I

don’t think a process can change that too much” (R5/LTA).

Other respondents noted that to overcome issues associated with generating ownership of

tourism in the destination community, resident education was necessary (5),

“You try and dispel some of the myths and that sort of thing, we need our host

community to be our strongest advocates, we need them to be supportive and

understanding and if you don’t then you don’t have a tourism industry”

(R2/Council),

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as was the need to overcome issues of token participation to contribute to resident

ownership of tourism (2).

The sixth issue in the stakeholder participation theme discussed with respondents related

to which stakeholder groups should be responsible for tourism planning in a local tourism

destination (Figure 7.14).

Figure 7.14: Stakeholder Planning Responsibility (n=31)

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The majority of respondents (16) perceive responsibility for tourism planning should be

shared amongst the various stakeholder groups in the destination and therefore advocate

the use of a collaborative planning approach,

“It needs to be an integrated system, you know federal, state, local

governments, your industry bodies, your private operators, and a range of

other business stakeholders, so no one on their own should be responsible for

tourism planning” (G4/LTA).

Respondents cited a range of reasons for the use of a collaborative approach including

stakeholder buy-in,

“Probably the most effective output from the whole planning process, it’s not

actually the document but the understanding that’s gained from the

stakeholders sitting around the table looking at what can be done, and that’s

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when people start to buy in and if you’ve got them around the table, then they

can buy in. If they’re not sitting around the table and you send them a report

it’s almost impossible for them to feel any ownership” (T1/STA).

Other respondents advocated a collaborative approach to ensure more independent and

un-biased views,

“Thuringowa doesn’t have a clue about tourism and it’s really dangerous for

somewhere like Paluma. The risks are too great to let some pen pusher get it

wrong; it’s just not good enough. There needs to be someone else involved

who’s switched on enough to say this isn’t about making money for the

Council, we have to protect the environment and make sure the communities

within those environments are run pristinely” (T5/Industry),

and,

“It needs to be a range of group’s because if it was just Council it would be

dangerous for them to have control as they have commercial interests as well”

(R4/Industry).

A number of stakeholders (10) advocated the local government authority as the

destination stakeholder who should be responsible for tourism planning and a variety of

reasons were cited for this including that Council is the elected representative of the local

community,

“The Council should stand as the proxy for the community in terms of

impacts, that’s why people elect them” (G3/Consultant),

and,

“Quite often it’s the Council that takes on the sort of final say or ultimate

responsibility, you know they can act on behalf of their community, but the

community and other groups still need to have a say” (S3/Council).

It was also identified that local council has to be responsible for tourism planning, as the

other stakeholder groups in the destination are not capable of planning,

“The tourism industry is always going to be economically driven just because

it is looking for commercial based outcomes. I think the industry finds it

easier to deal with economic issues than social and environmental issues, I

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don’t quite know whether the industry has quite grappled with how it delivers

some of those bottom line type outcomes” (G1/Council),

and,

“The challenge is where you’ve got a commercially focused model that tends

to have the bottom line as a driving force. I mean the operators are interested

generally for themselves and in the shorter term gain. The idea of taking

planning advice they just can’t come to terms with it” (R2/Council),

nor posses the required resources for planning,

“Council very much drove the strategy; I mean really who else is going to do

it, who else has the money to do it?” (D2/Council).

Several respondents (3) perceive tourism planning to be the responsibility of the tourism

industry of the destination,

“The Council does it, however I think the issue is to get the tourism industry

to take on their responsibilities in strategic planning, and this has been

difficult and still is. They gravitate towards being a promotional body only

rather than a strategic planning body and we want them to play both roles, of

promotion and engaging in strategic planning and protecting their assets and

so on. And the association always backs away from it because it becomes

difficult and controversial and political and they don’t want the hassle, and

they’re not set up for it, they’re picked for their marketing skills. The tourism

industry itself should do, they have their funding from Tourism North

Queensland and it should be subject to performance in strategic asset

management or engaging in strategic planning; you want us to fund

promotion, you get into strategic management. That’s how I think it should be

driven. Places like this where it’s driving the growth and driving the economy,

I think there’s very little attention paid to tourism strategic planning”

(D1/Council),

although it was noted that,

“If industry won’t or can’t do it that’s where Government comes in to play.

Who takes responsibility for that five to ten year planning horizon is one of

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the problems in the past, there was no one responsible for planning so it didn’t

get done” (R2/Council).

The final factor discussed within the stakeholder participation theme related to the role of

the local government authority in tourism planning for the destination (Figure 7.15).

Figure 7.15: Local Government Tourism Destination Planning Role (n=31)

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Stakeholder respondents identified a number of tourism planning roles for the local

government authority. The first of the identified roles was in providing strategic

direction for tourism in the destination (12),

“Council has a key role for tourism in a community. We have the ability to

look at the bigger picture, you know what will help the community

economically but we also take into consideration what they actually want”

(S2/Council),

and,

“The tourism association is just not really set up to consult with the rest of the

community on issues and that’s why Councils are important because they can

do that and they can see what’s happening in the whole of the shire and in

other industries. Council has that much bigger picture, we can really look at

things in a whole way for the rest of the Shire” (D2/Council).

241

It was also seen that Council’s are the one stakeholder group that have the planning

experience required to provide a strategic direction for the destination,

“Generally we’d like to see more engagement by industry in the tourism

planning processes but the realities are that the industry hasn’t been that good

as tourism planners…and there are not many tourism entrepreneurs that can

see the big picture from a destination point of view of a cohesive and

coordinated approach to planning” (G2/Consultant),

and,

“The idea of influencing the planning scheme, the idea of influencing

Council’s infrastructure planning, I think you know that’s a challenge the

industry haven’t traditionally done that very well here. I think it’s just the fact

that it just hasn’t had the capabilities to do it really or the driving force to do

it” (R2/Council).

A number of respondents (14) perceived Council’s role in tourism planning to be a part

of their legislative authority over the destination,

“I believe the voice of the public sector is probably best represented by the

Council because at the end of the day they were elected to represent the

people” (D6/LTA).

Council’s legislative authority over destination planning was seen to include their

planning schemes and resource capacity,

“Well councils need to give agreement to initiatives we are trying to

implement because of council planning schemes, and they are the only ones

with any resources to make any difference” (S6/RTO),

and,

“Council’s have a very important role in developing the tourism product of

their community. I mean probably most importantly is that they provide most

of the infrastructure that is used for tourism and for that reason alone they

have a vital role” (T6/Council).

Similarly,

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“I think in the absence of any other significant funding, local authorities are

really the major generators of funds and therein lies I suppose a lot of the

problems is the parochialism that I suppose you could say rightly that comes

with dispensing your ratepayer’s funds” (G6/Industry).

However other respondents expressed concerns that because of Council’s legislative

authority over the destination they have too much influence,

“Council’s are far too close, and far too political, and there should always be

that really strong consultation with Council, but I’m not sure they should be

run by Council” (D5/Industry),

and,

“I would say that Council as it is run these days is probably not the best

equipped to do anything. It’s just that Council used to be representative of

local residents; Council doesn’t tend to be like that anymore. I do think they

misread or misunderstood what people want. They see what works and what

makes money, like the Gold Coast or Cairns and they see that as being a

money spinner” (T5/Industry).

The third role for council in local level tourism destination planning identified by

respondents was that of intermediary (3) and balancing the tourism industry’s focus on

marketing,

“I suppose there’s a tendency in the industry to focus on marketing and

promotional outcomes as opposed to planning outcomes, and industry

development outcomes. So, that type of public good outcome, balancing that

economic side to the industry because they are very commercially, free market

driven, and Council deliver on some of the other side of the tourism industry,

which would be the environmental and social side. It’s not being delivered in

the free market” (G1/Council).

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7.3.3.1 Summary: Stakeholder Participation Theme

This theme presented respondent’s perceptions on a range of aspects and issues

associated with multiple stakeholder participation in the tourism planning process. The

first factor arising in the theme was the perceived motivation for engaging stakeholders in

the destination’s tourism planning process. A number of respondents considered

stakeholder buy-in to the strategy to be the motivating factor, while others attributed it to

the fact that stakeholder consultation is now considered a caveat to any planning activity

and it is necessary for the process’ credibility. Attempting to gauge stakeholder attitudes

towards tourism in the destination was also identified by some of the respondents as the

impetus, although a number of respondents considered that there had not been a real

motivation to engage stakeholders in the destination’s planning process. Respondent’s

identified a number of benefits of engaging multiple stakeholder groups in the tourism

planning process including the ability to more objectively determine the diversity of

attitudes towards tourism in the destination as well as obtaining stakeholder buy-in to the

process, with others noting that stakeholder engagement assists when implementing the

plan.

Respondents also discussed a range of challenges associated with engaging destination

stakeholders in the tourism planning process. Differing stakeholder values was a

problem highlighted by a number of respondents, as was the issue of managing the

consultation process in a timely and constructive manner. Apathy was also raised as a

challenge, and respondents cited the need for new consultation models to reinvigorate the

process, and generate ownership of tourism in the destination. Several respondents noted

a need for resident education to overcome some of the challenges of vocal experts. The

fourth issue arising in the stakeholder participation theme related to local resident

participation in the planning process. A number of respondents discussed that in their

opinion local residents, due to the fact they are so heavily impacted upon by tourism

activity, have a democratic right to participate in any planning and decision-making

activities undertaken within their area. It was also noted that resident involvement is a

prerequisite for tourism planning activities and without this participation the process

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would not be considered valid or credible. Many of the respondents were also of the

opinion that local resident involvement in planning did lead to greater ownership,

acceptance and support of tourism within the destination. However half of the

respondents raised issues associated with attempting to enhance community ownership

and acceptance of tourism, namely the fact that such diverse views towards tourism exist

within a destination community and participation in a tourism planning process cannot

always overcome this.

The sixth issue in the stakeholder participation theme related to which stakeholder groups

should be responsible for tourism planning in a local tourism destination. The majority

of respondents were of the opinion that responsibility for tourism planning should be

shared amongst the various stakeholder groups in the destination and advocate the use of

a collaborative planning approach. Reasons for this included obtaining stakeholder buy-

in to the resulting initiatives; as well as to ensure more independent and un-biased views

as some stakeholder groups may have vested interests. A number of stakeholder

respondents advocated the local government authority as the destination stakeholder who

should be responsible for tourism planning due to the fact that they are the elected

representative of the local community and they have the resource capacity to undertake

strategic planning processes which other stakeholder groups do not always have. Several

respondents discussed that in their view the tourism industry should be more responsible

for strategic destination planning as they overtly focus on promotional and marketing

tasks. The role of the local government authority in tourism planning for the destination

was the final factor in the stakeholder participation theme. It was generally perceived

that Council has a significant role to play due to their resources and capabilities,

especially when compared to other groups in the destination such as the tourism

association. Council was also seen to have a role in balancing the tourism industry’s

focus on marketing. However some respondents expressed concerns that because of

Council’s legislative authority they have too much influence in the destination.

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7.3.4 Alternative Planning Models and Strategic Visioning

To address the third objective of the study; stakeholder perceptions of strategic visioning,

a series of issues were discussed including respondent’s perceptions of future planning

activities for their destination, as well as their views on the strategic visioning concept.

The strategic visioning process was also discussed in further detail with the 12

respondents of the two case study destinations which have previously undertaken a

strategic visioning process (Redland Shire and Gold Coast City) including the perceived

potential of the model for incorporating sustainability, strategic planning and stakeholder

participation in the process.

Stakeholder responses for this theme have been presented according to the manifest

coding derived from the analysis: future planning, strategic visioning benefits and

strategic visioning challenges. For the more specific discussion of the strategic visioning

process with the respondents from the two case study destinations that have previously

undertaken a strategic visioning exercise, results are presented according to the manifest

codes of: strategic visioning motivation, strategic visioning and sustainability principles,

strategic visioning and strategic planning, strategic visioning and stakeholder

participation, and strategic visioning applicability.

Stakeholder perceptions of future tourism planning activities for their destination were

discussed (Figure 7.16). The majority of respondents (24) discussed the importance of

regularly reviewing the tourism plan to take into account changes in the destination,

“I think it’s important for that whole document to be reviewed now, to see

what has been achieved. People will have changed their views, new

developments and that sort of thing” (D5/Industry),

and,

“It will have to be revisited because the usefulness of having a strategic plan

will be lost if you don’t review the situation periodically. You won’t keep on

track with your strategic plan if you don’t know where you are at the

moment” (G4/LTA).

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Similarly,

“I think they should check how they’re moving towards their longer-term

vision, are they on track or have new problems and even opportunities arisen

which need to be considered” (T7/Consultant).

Figure 7.16: Future Planning (n=31)

2

4

6

2

4

1

5

2

5

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Review situation Alternate approaches

Redland

Sarina

Douglas

Gold Coast

Thuringowa

However other respondents (7) acknowledged the need for the document to be reviewed

but believe alternative approaches should be adopted for the planning process. Two

respondents identified that the planning process should follow the strategic visioning

model,

“I think they should move more in the direction of visioning because that is

so much more responsive to change” (R1/Consultant),

and,

“Redlands should look at what was done on Straddie” (R5/LTA).

Other respondents discussed the fact that tourism planning is addressed within the realms

of town planning,

“I don’t actually know if we would do another strategy, probably not because

it’s in the town plan and it’s informed the town planning so much. What you

might need is separate policies from time to time” (D2/Council).

Although one respondent questioned the need for future planning,

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“They need to look at the bigger picture so I don’t see much point until they

can do that otherwise the same issues are going to keep coming up again”

(T5/Industry).

The concept of strategic visioning and its potential applicability as a tourism planning

process was discussed with respondents (Figure 7.17).

Figure 7.17: Strategic Visioning Benefits (n=31)

2

43

21 111

21

322

33

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Decisionmaking

Engagement Destinationmanagement

Strategicdirection

Redland

Sarina

Douglas

Gold Coast

Thuringowa

Note: Multiple responses have been coded and non responses excluded

Respondents identified a number of benefits of adopting a strategic visioning approach to

tourism planning, including the improved decision-making capacity (11),

“I think it definitely helps as far as getting the planning right, if that didn’t

exist, it would be very hard to work out exactly where you’re positioned in the

market and what are some of the issues confronting the market. We have quite

a body of knowledge that we drew upon to inform our strategic planning that

if it wasn’t there makes it all that more difficult, you just don’t have the

background to go on, you have to go on more your anecdotal evidence”

(G1/Council),

and,

“We’ve been seriously thinking of it, there’s questions we want to start asking

because some of the decisions we have to make over the next 10 years are not

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going to be easy ones, or be popular and people are going to start getting to

grips with what it means to be sustainable” (T3/Council).

Other respondents, in considering the concept’s applicability as a tourism planning

process, discussed the fact that such a process would enhance stakeholder engagement

(7),

“What was important was that groups who had once thought they were on

opposite sides actually started to see that that was not the case. As it went

along we found that the people around the table generally agreed on the same

things it was just that they were using different words but once they sat and

talked they realised that they were in fact saying very similar things”

(R5/LTA),

and contribute to the management of the destination (6),

“I think it’s an excellent exercise in terms of getting a vision for a destination.

It went through everything in terms of the social, environmental, the

economic, the whole lot, it did the whole gamut” (D5/Industry).

Perceived challenges of the strategic visioning process were also discussed with

stakeholders and a range of issues were raised (Figure 7.18). However one respondent

did not believe there are any challenges associated with the process and simply noted that

“I believe it was an excellent process” (R6).

The first perceived challenge of the strategic visioning process was considered to be

stakeholder buy-in (15),

“Getting across to some people that there was a need to do something started

out as a bit of a problem but once people started talking I think everyone soon

realised there were things that needed to be done and some direction was

needed” (R2/Council),

and,

“I guess if you’re setting out to have such a focus on stakeholder buy-in

you’d really need to deliver and it’s hard to get people involved and talking

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and agreeing what needs to be done. We find that just in the consultation we

do with our plans so I imagine that would be difficult” (D1/Council).

Figure 7.18: Strategic Visioning Challenges (n=31)

11

32

12

1222

4

1

4

0

1

2

3

45

6

7

Stakeholder buy-in

Leadership Resourcing Action planning

Redland

Sarina

Douglas

Gold Coast

Thuringowa

Note: Multiple responses have been coded and non responses excluded

Stakeholder buy-in was perceived as a challenge due to the various stakeholder attitudes,

“I would guess it’s very difficult to get people to agree on a common vision

because everyone has different ideas if you think say between accommodation

operators and sugar cane farmers. I imagine that would be tough”

(S3/Council),

and the issue of apathy,

“Well I suppose you would run into the same problems as we did with this

plan, apathy is the big problem, people don’t want to talk about what might

happen, they want things to actually happen” (T3/Council).

Respondent’s also perceived leadership and arbitration of such a process as a potential

challenge (3),

“With these sorts of things who is the person that is the final arbiter of the

vision, who says OK this is our vision. And with the public meetings, who

you get at these meetings, and they are the ones saying this is what the vision

250

should be and they might not even be the right people, they could just be the

ones who were free on the day the meeting was held” (D2/Council).

The ability to resource such a process was also perceived as a challenge by several

respondents (4),

“It sounds to me like it would take a lot of time and money” (S5/Industry),

and,

“My guess would be that to do something like that it would take a lot of time

and you’d need to get so many people onboard” (D6/LTA).

Other respondents (4) believe that there should be a move towards action oriented

planning as opposed to longer term planning,

“You have to create momentum with planning and being involved in long

planning style processes where you spend a lot of time thinking strategically

and collecting information to get a strategic view can only be done when

there’s a really serious problem. In a place like Thuringowa, tourism isn’t a

problem it’s an opportunity. So I think for small communities the visioning

process, you’ve got to get moving, you can’t spend too long caught up in the

vision or where you want to go. Spend more time talking about what you want

to do with some vision in mind so that you can start to get a feel for people

and what sort of things they’re interested in at the very early stages of

bringing stakeholders together” (T1/STA).

A range of additional issues were discussed with the stakeholder respondents from the

two case study destinations which had previously undertaken a tourism destination

strategic visioning process. The first of these were stakeholder’s perceptions on the

motivation for their destination to adopt such a planning approach (Figure 7.19).

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Figure 7.19: Strategic Visioning Motivations (n=12)

4

2

1

2

3

10

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Destination management Strategic direction Stakeholder buy-in

Redland

GoldCoast

Note: Multiple responses have been coded and non responses excluded

Half of the respondents (6) considered that the motivation for undertaking the visioning

approach to tourism planning was to enhance destination management,

“It was driven very much around that dissatisfaction you know about a

number of things that had been happening” (R2/Council),

and,

“There were a lot of issues which set off the visioning project, or the need to

do the project…leadership and management of the destination” (G6/Industry).

Respondents also identified the generation of a strategic direction as the motivating factor

for embarking on the strategic visioning process (5),

“No one had actually done a vision for the island, no one had stopped and said

what do we want for the island” (R5/LTA),

and,

“There was a need for a more strategic approach to planning for the

destination which had really being lacking and had really led to a lot of the

issues that the Gold Coast was facing” (G2/Consultant).

The third identified motivator for undertaking the strategic visioning process was to

achieve stakeholder buy-in (2),

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“There are some passionate people over on Straddie and they really wanted to

do something worthwhile that they could all be involved in and take on some

responsibility for. It was a very organic sort of process” (R3/Council).

The second issue discussed with stakeholder respondents who have experienced the

strategic visioning process related to their perceptions of the ability of such an approach

to integrate sustainability principles into the planning process (Figure 7.20).

Figure 7.20: Strategic Visioning and Sustainability Principles (n=12)

3

5

3

10

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Achievement Awareness

Redland

Gold Coast

Note: Multiple responses

All of the respondents considered that the strategic visioning process was underpinned by

the principles of sustainable development, and half of the stakeholders (6) discussed how

the process contributed towards the achievement of sustainability principles,

“For the first time they have actually put something reasonably concrete

down that they can work with, from that they have now addressed a number

of sustainability indicators. I mean these are all quantum things that they

didn’t always understand. So from a triple bottom line perspective, they are

what I call a best practice case study” (R1/Consultant),

and,

253

“Just for starters they have a strategic direction, they’re thinking longer term;

their stakeholders are involved, so they are starting to achieve the principles of

sustainability” (G2/Consultant).

The remaining respondents (6) discussed the fact that due to the processes emphasis on

sustainability it had raised awareness amongst destination stakeholders of the concept,

“It was important in making us understand the concept of sustainable tourism

development. At first most of us did not know what the term meant but we

spent quite a lot of time actually understanding what sustainable tourism was

all about and we are now champions of that, can now appreciate why

sustainable tourism is so important for the future of the island. People started

to realise that without tourism they wouldn’t have their job or their son

wouldn’t, it really made them think about the whole idea. We are informed

now so if there was a project that we felt was not following the criteria of the

vision you can bet that the community would be galvanised to fight it”

(R4/Industry),

and,

“Now people have an understanding of what it means to be sustainable, that’s

probably the best thing, knowing what we have to do to be sustainable, not

just guessing” (R5/LTA).

Stakeholder perceptions of the strategic visioning process’ ability to incorporate the

principles of strategic planning were also discussed (Figure 7.21). Respondents

considered the visioning process to be a useful means of encouraging destination

stakeholders to think more strategically about tourism in the destination which could then

be reflected in planning (7). As some of these respondents noted,

“The visioning process basically lifted where people’s expectations and their

thoughts were in relation to tourism planning, instead of talking about action

planning they actually knew what strategic thinking was about. Because

people operating a business aren’t trained in that way of thinking, that’s not

how they go about operating…when you’re working with stakeholders that

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who aren’t used to strategic planning and strategic thinking you’ve got to

actually go through an education process to actually get them thinking at that

level” (G1/Council),

and,

“It contributed towards a more strategic approach to thinking about tourism on

the island. Because these issues are longer term some people just can’t get their

heads around them and they tend to revert to short-term gains” (R2/Council).

Figure 7.21: Strategic Visioning and Strategic Planning (n=12)

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1

6

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Strategic thinking Framework

Redland

GoldCoast

Note: Multiple responses

A number of stakeholders (6) also perceived that the strategic visioning process was

beneficial in generating a strategic framework for the destination to work within,

“It gave them a strategic framework that they actually could take ownership

of and within that framework, some direction in terms of next steps”

(R1/Consultant),

and,

“It was definitely strategic in that it gave the island long-term goals to work

towards” (R4/Industry).

Similarly,

“Once we had a vision we then got straight into what to do with the vision

because we realised we could not just stop at a vision. So from there we

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developed a strategy with priorities which we could then start working on. It

was important to us that it was not just a vision on a piece of paper or a

strategy on a shelf but something that was actually happening” (R5/LTA).

The fourth issue discussed with stakeholder respondents related to their perceptions of the

ability of the strategic visioning approach to integrate stakeholder participation into the

planning and decision-making process (Figure 7.22).

Figure 7.22: Strategic Visioning and Stakeholder Participation (n=12)

5

2

4

2

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Stakeholder buy-in Stakeholder attitudes Community ideals

Redland

GoldCoast

Note: Multiple responses

The vast majority of respondents (9) discussed the fact that one of the primary goals of

the strategic visioning process was to seek stakeholder buy-in to the process,

“The intention was to get community involvement for a vision for sustainable

tourism on the island and it dramatically improved relationships between

stakeholders. We actually started to get some real communication happening

and moving away from an us and them mindset just by communicating with

each other through the process. We did finish up with a consensus and when

we put the final document together, every single person involved signed off

on it, which was great. It was absolutely great in getting some consensus on

the future of the island” (R5/LTA),

and,

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“I think it’s a good way to go about it, it sets it all up and we knew that the

whole idea behind a vision was getting the stakeholders in, that was a big part,

a fundamental part, obviously in having a shared vision” (G6/Industry).

Similarly,

“It was an excellent process in terms of getting stakeholder involvement and

ownership, that was what really drove it and in my view will be why its being

taken on so strongly and people are actually still involved and working

towards putting it into action” (R3/Council),

while one respondent noted that,

“You know a big glossy document doesn’t necessarily promise you delivery,

so in fact the Straddie example, the more I look at it is a very, very simple

little document but what made it probably successful was the people”

(R1/Consultant).

Other respondents (2) discussed the fact that stakeholder participation was a key

challenge in the strategic visioning process due to the competing stakeholder attitudes,

although one respondent makes suggestions for overcoming this,

“I think where you’ve got community or industry groups which are very

fragmented it’s hard to identify who’s speaking on behalf of who. That’s why

I think the survey technique used in the visioning was a good one in this case

for a large destination like the Gold Coast where you’ve got some fairly

strong polarization of views, and we were able to cut through the vocal

minority syndrome” (G2/Consultant).

The final issue discussed with stakeholder respondents who have experienced the

strategic visioning process related to the application of the concept to other destinations

(Figure 7.23).

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Figure 7.23: Strategic Visioning Applicability (n=12)

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2

11

4

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0

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2

3

4

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Destinationscale

Processmanagement

Methodology Stakeholderbuy-in

Resources Dissemination

Redland

GoldCoast

All of the respondents considered the strategic visioning approach to be applicable and a

beneficial approach for other tourism destinations to adopt,

“It would be great for other places to use. It was definitely great in getting

everyone together and talking about the way forward” (R4/Industry),

and,

“It would be fantastic for other local areas and there have been suggestions to

use the North Stradbroke Island vision as a pilot for other areas. I think it

would be of benefit to other areas especially if they had a process to follow, our

visioning process would have been a lot quicker if we had a model to work off”

(R5/LTA).

Although respondents supported the approach a range of caveats were highlighted. A

number of respondents (4) suggested that the scale or size of the destination would be a

contributing factor to the success of the strategic visioning approach,

“As a micro community at least you’ve got some sense of an ability for

people to sort of address a common sort of an outcome. Regionally then you

get a bit of disbursement” (R1/Consultant).

In the North Stradbroke Island visioning exercise the scale and nature of the destination

was acknowledged as contributing to its success,

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“You’ve got a much more aware community over there. I mean they’re aware

of tourism because it’s a driver of the economy and they can see visitors,

whereas here, there’s a lot of disinterest” (R2/Council),

and,

“I think visioning has to be a good way of planning for tourism but because it

was the island and we’ve got a lot of passionate stakeholders over on

Stradbroke it was probably easier. The island is very sentimental to a lot of

people over there, whereas the mainland is probably taken more for granted I

guess” (R6/LTA).

Process management issues were also discussed by a number of the respondents (4),

“As far as I can see the hardest problem is getting together a group of people

who believe that it needs to happen. Once you have that; once you have the

will and the interest to do some sort of strategic planning and to follow it

through, then the rest of it is not rocket science” (G3/Consultant),

and,

“I think you’ve got to keep it simple…I think the management theory scares

them. Strategy scares people, aims, objectives scare people and at the end of

the day they are just strategic things we do to take things forward”

(R1/Consultant).

Several respondents (4) identified the need to adapt the methodology to suit the nature of

the destination,

“The processes can be many and varied in the way you design them, the

methodology that we used in the Gold Coast process, there are other ways that

we could have done some things. I think you need to customize a process for

a destination. I don’t think there’s one model that fits all because the process

is dependent upon multi stakeholder engagement, and while there are many

characteristics across destinations of stakeholders there are also unique

components to particular places, a lot of its to do with personalities and egos

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and local politics which has to be acknowledged and managed in the process”

(G2/Consultant),

and,

“People will adapt these types of things in the future to suit the destination”

(G4/LTA).

The fourth caveat identified by respondents (2) in considering the applicability of the

concept to other destinations was the need to ensure stakeholder buy-in and commitment

for the process,

“There’s got to be an intent, there has got to be a value proposition that what

we care about and this is what we want to achieve. Because if they haven’t

got ownership of it, it’s not going to happen, if they don’t really care about

the things. I think the biggest challenge on the Gold Coast was, and even on

Straddie, whose vision is it?” (R1/Consultant).

A further issue raised in relation to the applicability of the concept to other destinations

was that of resources (2),

“We obviously had the resources to fund a process like this and its very

expensive, I mean we’re probably talking around a million bucks, maybe a

little bit more. How local governments, other local areas do it, obviously it’s

got to be on a smaller scale but you need to make sure the research is

meaningful at the same time” (G1/Consultant).

7.3.4.1 Summary: Strategic Visioning Theme

This section has presented the results of the discussion with stakeholder respondents

regarding alternative planning practices and the strategic visioning approach to tourism

planning. In considering the future planning requirements for respondent’s destinations,

the vast majority discussed the importance and sufficiency of regularly reviewing their

tourism planning document to monitor changes and opportunities. Other respondents,

although acknowledging the need for the document to be reviewed, believe alternative

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approaches should be adopted for the planning process. Two respondents believe their

destination should adopt the strategic visioning model because of its capability to

incorporate and monitor changes, while other respondents discussed the fact that tourism

planning is adequately addressed within the realms of town planning and believe it is not

necessary to have a separate document. The concept of strategic visioning was discussed

and respondents identified several benefits. A number of respondents identified the

improved decision-making capacity as a benefit of the process citing the research base

that was an important component of the Gold Coast exercise, with others discussing the

fact that such a process would enhance stakeholder engagement in planning. Perceived

challenges of the strategic visioning process were also discussed and a range of issues

were raised. A number of respondents believed attaining buy-in to the process would be

a challenge due to the difficulty in convincing stakeholders there was a need to set a

direction for the destination. The various stakeholder attitudes and apathy were also seen

as hindering the achievement of a common vision, while others perceived leadership and

arbitration of such a process as a potential challenge, as well as the ability to generate the

necessary resources.

A range of additional issues were discussed with the 12 stakeholder respondents from the

two case study destinations that had previously undertaken a strategic tourism visioning

process. The first of these were stakeholder’s perceptions on the motivation for their

destination to adopt a strategic visioning planning approach. Half of the respondents

cited enhanced destination management as the motivating factor because of

dissatisfaction with issues in the destination. Generating a strategic direction was also

identified by respondents, as was achieving stakeholder buy-in. Respondents were also

asked whether the strategic visioning approach had contributed towards the integration of

sustainability principles into the planning process. All of the respondents considered that

the strategic visioning process was underpinned by the principles of sustainable

development, and a number discussed that as a result there was a greater awareness and

understanding of the sustainability concept, and that by simply having stakeholder

groups involved in setting the strategic direction, the destination was already starting to

achieve some of the principles of sustainability.

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The ability of the strategic visioning process to incorporate the principles of strategic

planning were also discussed. Respondents considered the visioning process to be a

useful means of encouraging destination stakeholders to think more strategically about

tourism in the destination, which was then being reflected in the planning. A number of

stakeholders also believed that the strategic visioning process had been beneficial in

generating a strategic framework for the destination to work within. The fourth issue

discussed with respondents related to their perceptions of the ability of the strategic

visioning approach to integrate stakeholder participation into the planning and decision-

making process. The vast majority of respondents discussed that one of the primary

goals of the strategic visioning process was to seek stakeholder buy-in and many were of

the opinion that in these two cases it had been successful in doing so. Other respondents

discussed the fact that stakeholder participation had been the key challenge in the

strategic visioning process due to competing and conflicting stakeholder attitudes.

The final issue discussed in the strategic visioning theme related to the perceived

applicability of the process to other destinations. Although all of the respondents

considered the strategic visioning approach to be applicable and a beneficial approach,

especially if there were models in place for other destinations to utilise, a range of

caveats were suggested. The scale and nature of the destination was seen as possibly

influencing the success of the approach, as was the need to obtain stakeholder buy-in and

commitment to the process. A further issue raised in relation to the applicability of the

concept to other destinations was that of resources due to the money and time involved in

such a large process, but many noted these problems could be overcome by adopting the

methodology to suit the nature of the particular destination.

7.4 Chapter Seven Summary

This chapter has presented the results of the 31 in-depth, semi-structured interviews

conducted with stakeholder’s from five case study destinations in Queensland: Redland

Shire, Sarina Shire, Douglas Shire, Gold Coast City and Thuringowa City. The

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interviews sought to examine stakeholder’ perceptions of the local tourism planning

process and the extent to which the principles of sustainable development, strategic

planning and stakeholder collaboration underpin the process as well as stakeholders’

views of future tourism planning practices and the strategic visioning planning approach.

The interviews elicited a range of issues relating to destination stakeholder’s perceptions

of the local tourism planning process and the extent to which the principles of sustainable

development, strategic planning and stakeholder collaboration underpin the process.

Additionally the interview results gave an insight into stakeholder perceptions of

strategic visioning as a tourism destination planning approach. While some of the

interview respondents supported the planning practices of their destinations and believed

the above-mentioned principles were incorporated, a number of respondents raised

criticisms and were of the opinion that the principles under investigation were not

necessarily utilised in the planning process despite assertions by some parties that they

were. The discrepancies in stakeholder opinions are discussed in Chapter Eight, in

conjunction with the results of the secondary document analysis (Chapter Six). In

addition the interview results pertaining to strategic visioning contributed towards the

development of a framework for implementing sustainable development principles into

local tourism planning, a void which was noted not only in the literature review but also

in the stakeholder interview results presented in this chapter.

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Chapter Eight

Discussion

8.0 Introduction

This study sought to investigate the transference of sustainable tourism theory to practice

by examining the extent to which the sustainable tourism planning philosophy is utilised

in the planning practices of local tourism destinations in Queensland. The contributing

and prerequisite factors of a sustainable approach, strategic planning and stakeholder

participation, were also examined through a content analysis of local tourism destination

planning documents (Chapter Six) and in-depth interviews with stakeholders from five

case study destinations in Queensland (Chapter Seven).

This chapter addresses each of the three objectives developed to investigate the research

issue. From this, the key issues arising from the research process are discussed in terms

of practice and perceptions and considered in light of the relevant literature. The

framework for strategic visioning is addressed as a possible means of ensuring the

sustainability philosophy, including strategic planning and stakeholder participation, are

incorporated into the tourism planning process.

8.1 Addressing the Research Objectives

This section addresses the three research objectives of the study utilising the results of the

two-stage data collection process previously outlined in Chapters Six and Seven.

8.1.1 Research Objective One

The first research objective sought to investigate the current planning practices of local

tourism destinations in Queensland to determine the extent to which the principles of

sustainable development, strategic planning and stakeholder collaboration are integrated

into the tourism destination planning process. Through an audit of the 125 local tourism

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destinations in Queensland it was found that only 30 of these destinations had a specific

local tourism plan. Therefore 95 of the local tourism destinations in Queensland either

did not have a plan (81) or were in the process of developing a tourism plan (14) at the

time of sampling. This is despite the fact that local level tourism planning has been

strongly advocated, particularly in LA21, as a means of managing the impacts of tourism

which are recognized as manifesting at the local or community level (Aronsson, 2000;

Leslie et al, 2000; Richins & Pearce, 2000). This result is also interesting considering the

importance of tourism to the state of Queensland. As outlined in Chapter One,

Queensland is more dependent on tourism for employment and income generation than

any other state in Australia and much of Queensland’s product is based on environmental

and cultural attractions, both of which are highly susceptible to tourism’s negative

impacts (Hall, 2003; Tourism Council of Australia & Tourism Queensland, nd).

The initial results of the tourism planning audit raise the question as to what planning and

management controls are in place for the vast majority of local tourism destinations in

Queensland? Through contact with each of the local tourism destinations to determine

their planning status (Chapter Five, section 5.5.1), a number stated that they did not

undertake their own local level planning but participated in regional cooperative

arrangements for product development and marketing. In most cases this occurred

through their respective RTO or other ad hoc associations formed with the primary

intention of marketing a collection of destinations based on geographical or product

similarities. This was also found to be the case with some of Queensland’s most popular

tourist destinations such as Brisbane and Cairns (Chapter Six, section 6.5) as these

destinations are generally the RTO ‘capital city’ and attention is given to planning and

marketing the greater region (Appendix One). These issues are further discussed in

Chapter Nine as an area for future research.

The initial audit of tourism planning documents highlighted the fact that less than a

quarter of the local tourism destinations in Queensland were engaged in local level

planning. However the first research objective specifically sought to determine the extent

to which the principles of sustainable development, strategic planning and stakeholder

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collaboration are integrated into the tourism destination planning process. Therefore each

of the 30 local level tourism planning documents were qualitatively content analysed in

accordance with the tourism planning process evaluation instrument (Table 5.2, Chapter

Five). This process demonstrated that the principles of sustainable development,

strategic planning and stakeholder collaboration are not integrated into the tourism

destination planning process for the vast majority of destinations investigated for this

study. It was found that most of the planning processes met with less than half of the

cumulative criteria of the evaluation instrument, designed to address recognised aspects

of a sustainable tourism planning process. The failure to address these issues became

more obvious when each of the evaluation instrument sections were examined

individually.

The ‘physical, environmental and economic situation analysis’ and ‘strategic indicators

of destination planning’ sections sought to identify key aspects of the traditional strategic

planning approach recognized in both the general and strategic tourism planning

literature including articulation of goals and objectives, scope or domain of action to

achieve objectives; and resources, skills and other competencies required to achieve

objectives (Chapter Three). The majority of documents failed to include what is

essentially descriptive, baseline information on their destination in the situation analysis

section. Similarly the strategic planning section highlighted the fact that strategic

thinking and long-term considerations of the destination’s future are not featuring in the

tourism planning process.

The third evaluation category, stakeholder participation in the planning process,

investigated the nature and influence of stakeholder involvement. As Simpson (2001,

p.29) states, “the common involvement of local government, regional tourism

organizations and tourism industry practitioners would indicate at least some

philosophical alignment with a conventional approach to business planning”. However

this was not the case for the majority of planning processes examined in this study. The

analysis showed that while some stakeholder groups participated to varying degrees in

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the tourism planning process, key stakeholders such as the local destination community

were generally not included.

The vision and values evaluation category was used to measure the extent to which the

planning approach integrated community values into the planning process and the extent

to which the vision for the future of the destination is in keeping with such values

(Simpson, 2001). The lack of community representation in the tourism planning

processes investigated is likely to have attributed to the fact that few of the assessed

planning documents included items from the destination vision and values category. The

final section of the evaluation instrument, the dominant tourism planning approach,

investigated the planning approaches adopted by the destinations. This was included to

address conflicting viewpoints in the literature regarding the emphasis of tourism

planning. Some authors have raised concerns that economic motivations are given

priority over social and ecological issues, and are the dominant approach in tourism

development planning (Getz, 1986; Hall, 1998), while others have claimed that the

concept of sustainability has had a substantial impact on planning ideas and philosophies

(McKercher, 1993). The analysis of tourism planning documents showed that while

goals, objectives and other declarations of intent are generally made regarding sustainable

development and the importance of sustainable planning, these tended to be superficial

and unsubstantiated statements that were not supported in the subsequent action strategies

and agendas contained within the document. The vast majority of documents did in fact

exhibit the economic approach to tourism planning, as evidenced by a focus on marketing

and promotion, with little or no consideration of the destination’s environmental or social

issues.

To allow for a more exacting assessment of the extent to which the principles of

sustainability were integrated into the planning processes, each of the documents were

quantitatively weighted and ranked in terms of their compliance with the tourism

planning criteria (Chapter Six, section 6.4). This process clearly highlighted the poor

performance of the local tourism destinations in addressing the recognised aspects of a

sustainable tourism planning process. It was found that none of the plans complied with

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75% or more of the evaluation criteria, only 5 met over 50% of the criteria, and the

remaining 24 plans had less than 50% of the evaluative criteria (16 of which included

less than 25%). The weighting and ranking of the plans further confirmed that the

principles of sustainable development, strategic planning and stakeholder collaboration

have not been adopted in the planning practices for the vast majority of local tourism

destinations in Queensland. The second research objective sought further clarification of

these results through in-depth interviews with participants in five of the tourism planning

processes.

8.1.2 Research Objective Two

The second research objective of the study sought to examine destination stakeholders’

perceptions of the local tourism planning process and the extent to which they perceive

the principles of sustainable development, strategic planning and stakeholder

participation underpin the planning process. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were

conducted with 31 stakeholders sampled from five case study destinations. Case studies

were selected based on the compliance of the destination’s tourism planning process with

the criteria of the tourism planning process evaluation instrument (Chapter Six). Based

on this assessment five local tourism destinations in Queensland were selected for further

investigation to address the second research objective of the study: Redland Shire, Sarina

Shire, Douglas Shire, Gold Coast City and Thuringowa City. Interview results were

presented according to the key themes of the study: sustainability, strategic planning and

stakeholder participation (Chapter Seven).

Within the sustainability theme it was found that although the sustainability concept itself

is considered valuable, respondents essentially viewed it as a catchphrase for the tourism

industry and as a result believe there is considerable misuse and incorrect applications of

the term. In order to overcome this it was suggested that there is a need to move beyond

the theory and actually develop means for practically applying the concept. It was also

noted that the concept could not be achieved in practice until there is meaningful and

effective engagement of the destination community in the planning process. While some

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respondents did consider that their destination had adopted a sustainable planning

approach, others were of the opinion that sustainability was not the motivating factor in

the development of the strategy for their destination, it had simply been labelled as such,

with the planning process continuing to focus on the more traditional issues of destination

marketing and promotion.

The second theme addressed stakeholder perceptions of the strategic planning process.

Respondents cited a range of motivations for undertaking a strategic planning exercise

including; being proactive in regards to the amount and type of tourism development, to

restructure previous management and planning practices, to set a strategic direction and

develop actions, and to assess and manage tourism’s impacts on the destination; all noted

objectives of the strategic planning process (Cooper, 1995; Faulkner, 1994; Hall, 2000;

Hall & McArthur, 1998). In terms of outcomes the majority of respondents considered

that as a result of the strategic planning process their destination now has a directional

framework and action agenda for tourism, although other respondents did not believe the

process had led to any strategic outcomes for the destination. Benefits of a strategic

planning process were seen to include stakeholder-buy in to the process, improved

destination management capabilities, strategic direction and decision-making capacity for

the destination. The main challenges identified were implementation and obtaining

stakeholder buy-in. In considering the most appropriate level for strategic planning to

occur, a local level plan was favoured by half of the respondents because of inherent local

issues, identity and influence over the process, while a regional approach was favoured

by the remaining respondents because of infrastructure needs and a lack of tourist

awareness of local government (local tourism destination) boundaries.

The stakeholder participation theme showed that for many respondents, the main

motivation for engaging destination stakeholders was to ensure buy-in to the outcomes of

the planning process. However a number of respondents cited the fact that stakeholder

participation is a mandate of planning activity, possibly attributing to some respondents

noting that there had not been a genuine motivation to engage stakeholders in the

destination’s planning process. Benefits and challenges were noted which are consistent

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with those identified in the literature (Ap, 1992; McIntyre, 1993; Mitchell & Reid, 2001;

Murphy, 1985; Oppitz, 1997; Rosenow & Pulsipher, 1979; Simmons, 1994). Benefits

included assessing attitudes and obtaining buy-in to assist in implementation, while

challenges were seen as differing values, process management and apathy. To address

some of the inherent challenges of engaging multiple stakeholder groups, it was

suggested that new consultation models are needed to reinvigorate the process of

stakeholder engagement. Resident participation was also addressed and was seen as

essentially a democratic right and prerequisite for such processes, although involvement

was credited with increasing ownership, acceptance and support of tourism within the

destination. In terms of which stakeholder groups should take a leadership role in local

tourism planning, many respondents saw it as a collaborative task, although others

advocated the local government authority as the most appropriate leader. Local

government’s role in tourism planning was seen to be significant due to their resources

and capabilities and their ability to balance the industry’s tendency towards marketing.

In examining stakeholders’ perceptions of the local tourism planning process and the

extent to which the principles under investigation are implemented into the process, the

research highlighted some strong polarization in views. While some respondents were

complementary and optimistic in their assessment of the planning process, others were

highly critical of the processes used within their destination. With such mixed results it

cannot be categorically determined whether the stakeholders sampled for this study do or

do not perceive the principles of sustainability to underpin the local tourism planning

process. Possible reasons for these divergent views are examined in section 8.2.3.2.

The conflicting perceptions of the participants are not surprising given the benefits and

challenges of tasks such as strategic planning and stakeholder participation in a tourism

destination context (Chapter Three). However respondents’ perceptions of the overall

integration of sustainability principles into the planning process does provide some new

perspectives and confirmation of issues raised in the literature. The need to translate

sustainability theory into practical steps and processes for destinations to follow was

highlighted by a number of respondents. It was noted that until such practical processes

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are developed the concept can never be effectively and correctly applied in practice. It

was also noted that there is a need to re-examine consultation models to ensure the

process of stakeholder engagement is improved.

8.1.3 Research Objective Three

The third research objective of the study was to consider the applicability of strategic

visioning as a practical planning model for implementing sustainable development

principles, strategic planning and stakeholder participation into local tourism planning.

To assist in deciding upon and developing appropriate approaches, stakeholder

perceptions of the strategic visioning process were also elicited through the in-depth

stakeholder interviews (Chapter Seven). Initially asked to consider the future planning

requirements for their destination, many respondents believed a revision of the current

tourism plan or other planning frameworks such as town planning would be sufficient to

address and manage the future planning and management needs of the destination. Other

respondents however believed the strategic visioning approach to tourism planning

should be adopted, as it is a more adaptive process capable of meeting the changing needs

of the destination. All respondents were asked to consider the benefits and challenges of

a strategic visioning approach to local level tourism planning. The majority of

respondents considered the benefits of strategic visioning to include improved decision-

making capacity and enhanced stakeholder engagement in planning, while challenges

were seen to lie in attaining buy-in, namely convincing stakeholders there was a need to

set a direction for the destination, and generating the necessary resources for the process.

The respondents (12) that had previously engaged in the strategic visioning process cited

the desire to enhance destination management, generate a strategic direction and achieve

stakeholder buy-in as the primary motivations for undertaking a strategic visioning

exercise. All of the respondents believe the strategic visioning approach had contributed

towards the integration of sustainability principles into the planning process, and noted

that as a result there was greater awareness and understanding of the sustainability

concept. Others discussed the fact that simply having stakeholder groups involved in

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setting the strategic direction for the destination was a major step towards achieving some

of the principles of sustainability. Respondents also considered the visioning process to

be a useful means of encouraging destination stakeholders to think more strategically

about tourism in the destination which in turn assisted in the actual process of strategic

planning. Similarly many considered that the strategic visioning process is ideal for

obtaining stakeholder buy-in to tourism destination planning. However other respondents

discussed the fact that obtaining stakeholder participation and buy-in to the process had

been the key challenge due to competing and conflicting stakeholder attitudes.

All of the respondents considered the strategic visioning approach to be applicable and a

beneficial tourism planning approach for other destinations to adopt, especially if there

were processes and frameworks available to utilise. However the scale and nature of the

destination was seen as possibly influencing the success of the strategic visioning

approach, as was the need to obtain stakeholder buy-in and commitment to the process.

The issue of resources required for such an exercise was also raised, but many noted that

resource challenges could be overcome by adopting a methodology to suit the nature and

size of the particular destination.

As with the second research objective, the stakeholder responses derived to address the

third objective showed some conflicting views on future destination planning and

management needs. The benefits and challenges of the strategic visioning process were

consistent with those outlined in the literature review (Faulkner, 2003; Mair et al, 2000;

Ritchie, 1993; Ryan, 2002), and the interview responses suggested strategic visioning is a

useful and valid method for integrating the principles of sustainability into the tourism

planning process. All of the respondents believe the approach had been successful in

addressing sustainable development principles; in achieving a strategic and longer-term

orientation towards planning and despite some identified challenges, was seen as a useful

means of incorporating multiple stakeholder participation into the process. The strategic

visioning approach for local tourism destination planning is addressed in section 8.3 of

this chapter.

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8.1.4 Summary: Addressing the Research Objectives

The primary aim of this study was to examine the transference of sustainable tourism

theory to practice. Three supporting research objectives and a two-stage data collection

process were developed to address this issue in the context of local tourism destinations

in Queensland (Chapter Five).

The first of the research objectives sought to investigate the current planning practices of

local tourism destinations in Queensland to determine the extent to which the principles

of sustainable development, strategic planning and stakeholder collaboration are

integrated into the tourism destination planning process. The initial audit of local tourism

destinations (Shire Council areas) showed that the majority did not have a local level

tourism plan. The reasons for and implications of this are outside the scope of this study

but do highlight important issues to be considered in further research (Chapter Nine,

section 9.6). However, for the 30 destinations that did have a local level tourism plan, the

qualitative analysis of these documents showed that the vast majority are not underpinned

by sustainable development principles, including the identified prerequisites of strategic

planning and stakeholder participation. It was found that long-term, strategic thinking

about the future of the destination is not featuring in the processes, and while there is

some evidence of multiple stakeholder groups participating, in most cases that does not

extend to the residents of the destination. Therefore it is not surprising that few of the

destinations assess community values and vision for the future. The analysis also showed

that while the term and ideas of sustainable development might be incorporated within

the plan, the actual action strategies revert to economic concerns.

In addressing the first of the study’s research objectives it can be said that sustainable

tourism planning is not underpinning the local tourism planning processes of destinations

in Queensland. However one issue that stood out through this process was that a number

of the planning documents were actually titled ‘sustainable tourism plans’ or included

goals and objectives related to sustainability (Chapter Six, section 6.2), yet performed so

poorly when rated against the evaluation instrument which was specifically designed to

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assess the integration of sustainability principles into the planning process. The results of

the in-depth stakeholder interviews conducted to address the second objective of the

study highlight some of the reasons for this including the misuse of the concept with

applications to incorrect contexts and a lack of understanding of the concept’s meaning

and how to actually apply it in practice. Other respondents noted that despite being

labelled as such, a sustainable tourism planning approach was not the motivating factor in

the development of the strategy for their destination. These issues are further discussed

in section 8.2.2.1.

The second research objective sought to examine stakeholder perceptions of the local

tourism planning process and the extent to which those involved perceive sustainability

principles to have been incorporated into the process. Stakeholder perceptions of the

tourism planning process were actually quite conflicting; some respondents were of the

opinion that the planning process had integrated the principles of sustainability, strategic

planning and stakeholder participation, while others disagreed. This makes it difficult to

ascertain whether the principles were actually integrated. However the results of the first

research objective can assist in addressing this. As the first stage of the research showed,

none of the analysed documents were found to have met with all or even most of the

sustainability criteria. The top five destinations selected for further investigation met

with just 50-75% of the assessment criteria (Figure 6.10, Chapter Six). In fact the highest

ranked of these destinations only met with 69.5% of the criteria, with the lowest meeting

51%. So even though some respondents considered the process to have incorporated

sustainability principles, the document analysis process showed that they actually did not

address all of the criteria required for a sustainable tourism planning approach. This

therefore raises the question as to how could respondents from the same destination, who

participated in the same process; have such markedly different ideas on the planning

process? Examining respondents’ roles and their perceived influence over the planning

process (Table 7.3, Chapter Seven) provides some answers to these questions and is

addressed further in section 8.2.3.3 of this chapter.

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One issue that respondents had some level of consensus on was the need to develop tools

and processes to transfer sustainable development principles and theory into practice.

Respondents cited concerns over understanding and actual application of the

sustainability concept into the tourism planning process. This issue is discussed in

section 8.2.1.3.

The third research objective sought to consider the applicability of strategic visioning as a

practical planning model for implementing sustainable development principles, strategic

planning and stakeholder participation into local tourism planning. The responses of

stakeholders who had participated in a strategic visioning exercise provided some useful

viewpoints to assist in the consideration of the appropriateness of this approach. All of

these respondents considered the strategic visioning approach to be a useful means of

ensuring sustainable development principles underpin the process, even those that cited

challenges with the method. The prerequisites to sustainability, strategic planning and

stakeholder participation, were also seen as adequately incorporated within strategic

visioning. Respondents also agreed upon the applicability of the approach for other local

tourism destinations, noting that models or frameworks would be beneficial for

destinations considering such a process to utilise.

While the strategic visioning approach to tourism planning was considered successful in

integrating the principles of sustainability, respondents had quite divergent views on the

success of the more ‘traditional’ approaches undertaken in some of the case studies.

Taking into account these views and the associated literature (Chapter Three) can the

challenges associated with integrating sustainability principles into local tourism

planning be overcome within a strategic visioning framework? This issue as well as

others raised throughout this section are addressed by looking further at the identified

themes of the study- sustainability, strategic planning, stakeholder participation and

strategic visioning.

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8.2 Sustainable Tourism Theory to Practice

In addressing the stated research objectives of the study, it was found that local tourism

destinations in Queensland are not incorporating sustainable development principles,

including strategic planning and stakeholder participation, into their tourism planning

processes. A number of issues and points for further consideration were raised and these

are addressed in the following section where the results of the data collection for each of

the study’s themes; sustainability, strategic planning, stakeholder participation and

strategic visioning, are considered collectively.

8.2.1 Sustainability: Practice and Perceptions

As discussed in section 8.1, the research showed that the principles of sustainable

development do not underpin local tourism destination planning processes in Queensland.

This was evident in the results of stage one of the research (Chapter Six) and in a number

of the stakeholder interview responses (Chapter Seven). While the contributing and

prerequisite factors of a sustainable approach, strategic planning and stakeholder

participation, will be discussed separately, in addressing the research objectives several

issues regarding the concept of sustainability and sustainable tourism planning were

highlighted.

8.2.1.1 Overlooking the Triple Bottom Line

One of the key issues arising from the research was the fact that a number of the tourism

planning documents included broad statements and objectives regarding sustainability,

yet performed poorly when the transference of this intent to action was examined. When

each of the documents were analysed for their tourism planning approach (Chapter Six,

section 6.3) it was found that while the concept of sustainability is discussed and a

sustainable planning approach may even have been cited as the driver of the planning

process, the actual action strategies do not support such objectives. For example in plan

six it is stated that,

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“Our goal is a sustainable tourism industry that works in strong

partnership with the community in pursuit of economic, environmental

and social sustainability”.

Despite stating sustainability goals, the action strategies included in this plan relate solely

to market research, advertising and promotion. Similarly in plan seven it is stated that,

“The goal is to further develop and enhance a successful and united

tourism industry in the Cardwell Shire that contributes to the Cardwell

Shire’s quest for economic, social, cultural and environmental

sustainability and recognises ‘Cardwell Shire’ as being owned by the

whole community”.

Once again the action strategies relate to market research, advertising and promotion.

Environmental and community issues are not addressed at all within the document, nor is

any form of community participation or consultation reported on.

As these two excerpts demonstrate, although statements are made regarding

sustainability, none of the actual strategies or action plans which are to be implemented

or acted upon bear any relation to sustainability in its holistic sense. Economic issues are

addressed, yet there is no mention of environmental and social concerns, both of which

are considered just as crucial in a sustainable approach to tourism planning. While there

are examples of plans that include supporting action strategies for the sustainable

development goals (Chapter Six, section 6.3), it cannot be said that sustainability is the

dominant planning approach for local tourism destinations in Queensland. What was

evident was that the economic and infrastructure approaches are still the prevailing forms

of tourism planning. This was particularly apparent when the strategies and action

agendas within the plans were analysed, where it was found that marketing, promotion,

product and infrastructure development, and visitor services were overwhelmingly

apparent, all of which are trademarks of the economic and infrastructure approaches

(Chapter Six, section 6.2.5). This was confirmed by some of the responses received

through the stakeholder interviews where it was noted that a sustainable tourism planning

approach was not the motivating factor in the development of the strategy for their

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destination, it had simply been labelled as such and that the strategy had continued to

focus on the more traditional issues such as marketing.

“They jumped on the idea of sustainability as it was a key word. Theirs is a

plan which is really more marketing oriented not sustainability oriented

(R6/LTA)”.

As was the case in Berke and Manta Conroy’s (2000) study, there were no significant

differences in terms of policies and strategies between planning documents with

sustainable development as an underpinning concept and those without.

Such results concur with the issue raised in Chapter One that the tourism industry has

been slow to adopt sustainability principles and actually put them into practice due to the

fact that economic motivations are given priority over social and ecological issues (Getz,

1986; Hall, 1998). Under the economic tradition, tourism is seen as an industry which

can be used as a tool by governments to achieve certain goals of economic growth and

restructuring, with planning emphasizing the economic impacts of tourism, and

marketing to attract the types of visitors who will provide the greatest economic benefit

to the destination. The discussion of tourism planning approaches in Chapter Three

alluded to one planning approach superseding its predecessor, whereas authors such as

Getz (1986) and Hall (1998) contest that this is not the case and due to the economic

benefits generated by tourism activity, the economic approach is the one still practiced in

many destinations. Pigram (1990) also noted that much of the so-called planning that

occurs in tourism is really marketing and this certainly appears to be the case in this

study.

The concept of sustainable tourism, in its simplest form, is founded on the notion of the

triple bottom line, referring to the equal consideration of economic, social and

environmental concerns. While destinations in this study are purporting a sustainable

approach based on a single aspect of the triple bottom line, the question remains as to

whether this is a deliberate disregard of triple bottom line principles by local tourism

destination planners, possibly a reflection of Mowforth and Munt’s (1998) ‘lies, damned

lies and sustainability’, or as a result of a lack of understanding of the concept of

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sustainability and how to translate the principles into strategies and actions. The

possibility that destination planners deliberately overlook environmental and social

issues may be an issue for further research (Chapter Nine, section 9.6). However the

results of the in-depth interviews suggest that the latter scenario is the most likely.

8.2.1.2 A Problem of Understanding

The inconsistencies between intentions and the strategies for action regarding sustainable

development raised some interesting questions. The stakeholder responses from the in-

depth interviews suggest that this disparity can be attributed to a lack of understanding

regarding the concept of sustainability and what it actually means in terms of destination

planning. It was noted in Chapter Two that the lack of a widely known and accepted

definition has caused confusion over what sustainable tourism means (Berry & Ladkin,

1997; Harrison et al, 2003; MacLellan, 1997; Swarbrooke, 1998). A number of

respondents ascribe this confusion to the widespread and often incorrect application of

the term by the tourism sector to contexts, which are not necessarily associated with the

principles of sustainable development.

“It’s become a bit of a catchphrase…a bit like ecotourism was the call of

the 90s” (D3/Consultant).

The lack of understanding also appears to be compounded by the fact that, as perceived

by the respondents in this study, a gap does actually exist between sustainability theory

and practice. While some authors have adopted the view that the tourism industry and

the wider community are increasingly adopting and recognizing the importance of the

sustainability concept (Hall et al, 1997; Ritchie & Crouch, 2000), this study concurs with

other authors who suggest that there is a growing gap between sustainability doctrine and

its ‘real world’ application (Simpson, 2001; Trousdale, 1999). The respondents certainly

did not deny the importance of the sustainability concept; they just don’t know how to

convert the concept into a form that can be used in destination planning and management.

As Godfrey (1998) argued, it could be seen that the industry has entered a new phase of

sensibility, with many tolerant in principle or even actively supportive of the concept, but

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this has generally been without a full understanding of its meaning or its implications for

planning and development activity.

8.2.1.3 A Problem of Practice

Stakeholder respondents highlighted the need to overcome the theory-practice gap and

translate sustainability principles into specific strategies and actions. A number of

respondents discussed the difficulty in actually applying the concept in practice.

“A lot of people talk about sustainability but what does that actually mean,

and how do we deliver on that? I think that’s one of the key challenges for

industry and for local governments as we move forward” (G1/Council).

A number of participants in the study considered that the time had come to move beyond

theoretical discussions and actually begin to deliver practically on the concept. However

to enable this to occur respondents discussed the need for practical implementation tools.

It was further noted that the lack of such tools was the greatest challenge in applying the

concept in practice,

“The theory’s good and the practice can be good if the tools are there for

destinations to use” (G2/Consultant).

The difficulty in actually implementing a planning approach is not uncommon. The

preoccupation with theoretical debates and model development at the expense of

practical, hands on processes and procedures for practitioners has been recognised as

hindering tourism planning (Faulkner, 2003; Garrod & Fyall, 1998). Bahaire and Elliott-

White (1999) in their discussion of the implementation of a community tourism planning

model found that as there was no practical implementation blueprint, planning goals

remained centred on commercial interests despite the use of alternative planning models.

In terms of sustainable tourism planning it was noted in Chapter Two that academic

debate and discourse regarding the concept must take second place to the development of

practical tools for destination planners, managers and their communities to implement

sustainability (Fyall & Garrod, 1997; Liu, 2003; Pearce & Turner, 1993; Slee et al, 1997;

Welford & Ytterhus, 2004). As Bramwell and Lane (1993, p.4) noted, “it is easy to

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discuss sustainability but…the time has come to walk the talk”, and the responses from

this study confirm these assertions. Practical frameworks and processes for sustainable

tourism are further discussed in section 8.3.

8.2.2 Strategic Planning: Practice and Perceptions

Strategic planning is recognised as a key contributor in meeting sustainable development

principles and a means of alleviating some of the negative impacts of tourism activity

(Dutton & Hall, 1989; Harrison & Husbands, 1996; Page & Thorn, 2002; Simpson, 2001;

Wall, 1997). While the previous section highlighted the difficulties associated with

achieving a sustainable approach to tourism planning, it is necessary to consider the more

specific issues arising from the research on strategic planning for local tourism

destinations in Queensland. Particularly given that while there is considerable debate

surrounding the concept and practical application of sustainability, there is some level of

agreement that strategic planning is a key contributor to achieving a sustainable approach

to tourism planning.

8.2.2.1 Short-Term Planning Horizons

It became quite evident in the first stage of the research (Chapter Six, section 6.2) that

key aspects of the traditional strategic planning approach recognized in both the general

and strategic tourism planning literature are not incorporated into the tourism planning

processes conducted for local destinations in Queensland (Cooper, 1995; Faulkner, 1994;

Hall, 2000; Hall & McArthur, 1998; Schendel & Hofer, 1979). Tourism destination

strategic planning involves making a sequence of choices and decisions about the

deployment of resources committing a destination to a future course of action (Brownlie,

1994). It requires a deliberate, integrative and formalised plan which will permit the

destination to adapt quickly to changing situations and develop information, planning and

control systems to monitor and respond to this change (Chon & Olsen, 1990; Cooper,

1995). It is recognised that adopting a strategic approach to tourism destination planning

provides a sense of purpose, ownership and support for both the industry and the public

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sector, which can lead to a framework for cooperative action and policies (Hall, 2000;

Hall & McArthur, 1998). It also emphasizes the need for both short and long term

objectives which can accommodate changing circumstances, and which the sector can be

judged against in the future (Cooper, 1995; Hall, 2000; Hall & McArthur, 1998;

Faulkner, 1994). By not engaging in a strategic planning approach the majority of

destinations in the study would not have given consideration to what their destination will

be like in the future, and therefore would have no point of reference to measure, even

anecdotally, when the destination has reached a critical stage of development. Further, as

a result of failing to address economic, environmental and social goals related to tourism,

there is no means to monitor the attainment of goals and more importantly that such goals

are not unknowingly exceeded or diverted from.

The failure to engage in strategic, long-term thinking regarding the destination is quite

concerning but not necessarily unexpected. As discussed in Chapter One the Australian

public sector has a reputation for being overtly preoccupied with marketing at the

expense of strategic planning (Faulkner, 2003). This marketing versus management

mentality has been to the detriment of a more balanced and rational approach to the

development of the tourism industry. Page and Thorn’s (1997) study of tourism planning

in New Zealand also confirmed the use of ad hoc approaches at the expense of an

integrated planning framework for tourism leading them to conclude that planning is

destined to remain a reactive response to problems and pressures generated by tourism.

This study has confirmed that local level planning in Queensland is conducted without a

long-term strategic view. This is despite the fact that a wealth of literature and case

evidence exists which explicitly warns of the dangers of failing to engage in strategic

planning (Coccossis, 1996; Gunn, 1994; Hall, 1998; Inskeep, 1991; Murphy, 1985). As

the WTO (1994) has noted, uncontrolled development may bring some short-term

economic benefits but over the long term will result in environmental and social

problems and poor quality tourist destinations. They conclude that it is obviously better

to plan for controlled development initially, and prevent problems from arising in the first

place.

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8.2.2.2 Strategic Planning Will Come Later

Why tourism destination planners in the 21st century would choose to ignore the lessons

of the past is quite intriguing. However for the destinations examined in this study this

certainly appears to be the case. One possible reason that long-term, strategic thinking is

not featuring in the planning process of many local tourism destinations in Queensland is

that the negative impacts of tourism have yet to be experienced,

“You have to create momentum with planning and being involved in long

planning style processes where you spend a lot of time thinking

strategically and collecting information to get a strategic view can only be

done when there’s a really serious problem. In a place like Thuringowa,

tourism isn’t a problem it’s an opportunity” (T1/STA).

Such a response suggests that long-term strategic planning is seen as an activity that is

employed only when a destination is in crisis mode. Butler (1991) claims that tourism

planning is too often reactive rather than proactive, as the prospect of large returns

overturns a cautious approach. If this is the case it is not surprising that the planning

practices of destinations analysed in this study performed so poorly on the strategic

planning criteria of the evaluation instrument. As outlined in Chapter Six (section 6.5), a

number of the destinations examined are rural areas looking towards tourism as an

alternative economic option. If strategic planning is seen as a reactive measure only to be

employed when tourism activity becomes a problem in the destination then these rural

areas that are looking to diversify into tourism would not be thinking towards the future,

but looking at achieving short-term gains to get tourism established in the destination.

This can be attributed to the fact that the vast majority of tourism planning documents

were assessed as primarily utilising the economic and infrastructure approaches to

planning (Chapter Six, section 6.2.5). However it has been found that rural communities

often lack the employment stability, community investments, economic diversity and

social institutions necessary for stability and growth (Potts, Backman, Uysal & Backman,

1992; Verbole, 2000) which often makes tourism an attractive ‘soft’ option to revitalise

and improve economies (Wahab & Pigram, 1997). The need for tourism planning is even

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more important in such destinations where an inexperienced public and private sector

may have little or no experience in how to properly develop such a sector, how to

integrate it with other sectors of the economy or how to realise the benefits and negate the

negative impacts (Inskeep, 1991; Poon, 1993).

While such destinations may achieve short-term gains the long-term impacts of such

short-sighted actions has proven to be dangerous. It is unlikely that Queensland local

tourism destinations are the first to believe that it is acceptable to kick-start tourism

activity without firstly giving due consideration to what such actions will have on the

destination in the future. Many of the world’s most developed destinations can probably

trace back to a time when tourism was experimented with as an alternative economic and

employment generator, and the need for long-term strategic thinking was seen as

unnecessary. Murphy and Murphy’s (2004, p.3) warning that “those who ignore history

are doomed to repeat it” may well be the case. Rural destinations in Queensland may not

be Majorca or the Mediterranean, but tourism, even on a small scale and especially when

not managed properly, has still been found to create considerable detrimental effects on

the destination.

It is likely that in time these destinations will experience the repercussions for such

oversight, and as Martin and Uysal (1990) noted, while the initial stages of tourism are

usually met with a great deal of enthusiasm because of the perceived economic benefits,

it is only natural that, as unpleasant changes take place in the physical environment and in

the type of tourist being attracted, this feeling gradually becomes more and more

negative. By engaging in a sustainable approach in the early stages of destination growth

tourism planning can be used as a means of alleviating the economic deterioration arising

from poorly planned and managed tourism development in an attempt to maintain, in

perpetuity, the characteristics that make it a desirable place to live and visit (De Lacy et

al, 2002; Manning & Dougherty, 2000).

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8.2.3 Stakeholder Participation: Practice and Perceptions

Stakeholder participation is also recognised as a contributing and prerequisite factor in

the achievement of a sustainable tourism planning approach. Authors such as Faulkner

(2003) have claimed that the achievement of sustainable development objectives hinges

on the adoption of a participatory model, involving the meaningful engagement of the

community, along with industry stakeholders and relevant government agencies, in an

attempt to generate agreement on planning directions and goals. However the research

results highlighted several issues regarding stakeholder participation in the planning

process, which need to be considered.

8.2.3.1 Missing Stakeholders

It was found in the first stage of the research that while multiple stakeholder groups

generally did participate in the planning processes, one important player was omitted- the

residents of the destination community. This is despite the fact that, for some time,

community residents have being acknowledged as the most important stakeholder group

in a tourism destination (Berke, 2002; Bramwell & Sharman, 1999; Caffyn & Jobbins,

2003; Eligh et al, 2002; Holland, 2000; Murphy, 1988; Pforr, 2001; Robinson, 1999;

Sadler, 2004). As outlined in Chapter Three a considerable body of literature exists

citing the need for meaningful engagement of residents in any decision-making or

planning activity undertaken and it has been noted that sustainable tourism cannot be

successfully implemented without the direct support and involvement of those who are

affected by it (Marien & Pizam, 1997).

A sustainable approach is based on the meaningful engagement of the community, along

with industry stakeholders and relevant government agencies (Faulkner, 2003). As part

of this process there is a need to evaluate a community’s sensitivity to tourism

development as the first step in planning for sustained tourism development. Simpson

(2001) noted that for sustainability to be achieved local residents must be permitted to

identify salient issues of concern; be the ones to determine the pace and scale of

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development and the development must coincide with the community’s aspirations and

abilities. To ensure this, the resident community must be considered a legitimate

stakeholder group, requiring direct and meaningful participation in decision-making.

The stakeholder respondents also discussed this requirement in the second stage of the

research, all of who noted the need for, and benefits of engaging the destination

community in the planning process, consistent with that discussed in the literature. As

was the case in converting sustainable development theory to practice (section 8.2.1)

transferring resident participation into practice is also a problem for local tourism

destination planning in Queensland.

The possible reason for omitting the most crucial stakeholder group in a tourism

destination (Leslie, et al, 2000; Murphy, 1988, 1985; Williams et al, 1998) can be seen in

the willingness of respondents to discuss the challenges and problems associated with

stakeholder participation (Chapter Seven, section 7.3.3),

“I don’t know how you engage the residents in the planning process

without it turning into a 12 month exercise and by then you miss the boat in

most instances and it becomes a painful initiative” (D3/Consultant).

The need to re-examine and develop new models of stakeholder consultation and

engagement was also highlighted by some respondents as one of the greatest inhibitors in

achieving a sustainable approach to tourism planning,

“You’ve got to do it but we’ve really got to rethink the whole context of

how you engage with communities and I think we probably need new

models” (R1/Consultant).

Once again, while the importance of stakeholder participation and collaboration in

tourism planning has been widely discussed in the literature, this has been at the expense

of developing clear and concise formulas as to how this can occur in practice (Faulkner,

2003), and Sewell and Phillips (1979) lament that there is no universally applicable or

generally accepted model. Other studies have found that the dominant stakeholder

groups who manage the planning process, most often the relevant government authority,

don’t always understand the need for, or care for, engaging residents in tourism planning

(Bahaire & Elliott-White, 1999; Timothy, 1998). The consideration of new ways of

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meaningfully engaging multiple stakeholder groups in the planning process, taking into

account these challenges are further discussed in section 8.3.

8.2.3.2 A Point of Contention

Stage one of the research showed quite blatantly that destination residents were not

included in the planning process, and this was confirmed by a number of the stakeholder

respondents in the second stage of the research. However some of the respondents did

consider that the planning process had included all stakeholder groups, including

residents of the destination community. As was the case in the discussion on

sustainability (section 8.2) respondents who participated in the same planning process

had quite conflicting views on what actually occurred. It is an interesting issue to

consider given remarks made by some respondents,

“I believe they talked to a couple of people but that it was primarily a

Council document with Councillors involved and I would say they didn’t

consult because they wanted to keep control of it” (G3/Consultant).

Such comments allude to the issue of power and influence in the planning process, an

acknowledged issue in the stakeholder participation literature (Chapter Three). A

possible reason that certain stakeholder groups viewed the planning process more

positively than others may in fact be due to a much higher vested interest or even perhaps

a personal bias. Re-examining respondents’ roles and their perceived influence over the

planning process (Table 7.3, Chapter Seven) can assist in addressing this issue.

8.2.3.3 Influential Participation

During the stakeholder interviews conducted in the second stage of the research process,

respondents were asked to consider the extent and significance of their personal influence

in the planning process undertaken for their respective destinations. Participant’s

perceived influence was rated as low, intermediate or high (Table 7.3, Chapter Seven)

and plotted on a continuum of core or periphery influence to determine if any one

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stakeholder group had more influence over the planning process than others (Figure 8.1).

Medeiros de Arajo and Bramwell (1999) have suggested that such an exercise can assist

in assessing stakeholders’ connection to an issue and it has certainly highlighted the

influence of particular stakeholder groups in the planning processes examined for this

study.

It can be seen that in all of the case study destinations the local council was the core

stakeholder with the most influence over the planning process. Consultants were also

found to be highly influential participants in the planning process, interestingly more so

than the other ‘actual’ stakeholders of the destination. In most of the cases the tourism

industry and the state, regional or local tourism associations (STA, RTO, LTA) were

assessed as having a periphery influence, as although they were participants they

perceived their role and influence to be far more limited than others.

Many of the respondents in the study did acknowledge the important role of the local

government authority in destination planning. Local government’s resource and planning

capabilities, the provision of infrastructure and services, and their legislative authority for

the area were seen as the primary reasons for their key role (Chapter Seven, section

7.3.3). Despite the acknowledged leadership role, respondents still considered a need for

the local government authority to work in a collaborative arrangement with other

destination stakeholders in tourism planning. The impact of local government’s ‘core’

influence is discussed further in the following sections.

The consultant was also assessed as a core participant in the processes investigated.

Ideally the consultant, as the tourism planning expert, would act as a conduit between the

core and periphery stakeholders ensuring both have equal representation and influence

over the planning process. Unfortunately this wasn’t the case for the planning processes

in this study, which is no doubt attributable to the fact that in all instances the consultant

was contracted by the local government authority to perform a set task. The role of the

consultant is often overlooked when considering the tourism planning process and given

their considerable influence (Figure 8.1) this is possibly unwise. Several studies have

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found that too often plans are formulated by ‘experts’ and as a result do not reflect the

aspirations of the broader community (Blommestein, 1988; Din, 1997; King, McVey &

Simmons, 2000; Timothy & White, 1999; Wilkinson, 1997), with claims made that

“tourism has become too important to be left to the experts” (Seekings, 1980, p.253).

Although not necessarily a comparable case to this study, Din’s (1993) study of tourism

planning in Malaysia found that authorities presumed host sentiments to be positive

towards tourism, with Din referring to a quote by a Malaysian authority that “we do not

have to consult with the local people; we know what is good for them”. Comments

received by some respondents in this study intimate similar, although not quite as

transparent sentiments,

“It adds credibility to the whole process and I think a lot of these things

you often know what the answer is before you start, it’s part of the sales

process. It’s probably cynical but quite often I look for the answer in the

consultation. So we did consultation…and I visited Airlie Beach and I

saw the beautiful big swimming pool and I thought that’s alright so I

hunted through the consultation and I found three references from people

who said we are looking for a safe swimming area so we used that to say

oh look people have asked for a nice swimming pool instead of a water

feature” (T3/Council).

Some of the consultant respondents did unofficially discuss the difficulties in convincing

‘clients’ of the need to engage in consultation. However they noted that they were not in

a position to pursue the matter as they were undertaking a paid task at the behest of a

client and for their own ‘personal sustainability’ must appease the customer.

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Figure 8.1: Perceived Stakeholder Influence in the Planning Process

8.2.3.4 Proxy Participation

Stage one of the research showed that the participation of the resident community did not

feature too prominently in the planning processes investigated for this study. One

CORE INFLUENCE

PERIPHERY INFLUENCE

Council Consult

Council

LTA

Industry

LTA DOUGLAS

SARINA

REDLAND

GOLD COAST

THURINGOWA

Industry

Consult

LTA

Consult ConsultCouncil

LTA

LTA

Industry

Consult

Council

Council

Industry

LTA

Council

RTO

Council

Council

Consult Industry

IndustryCouncil

Council

STA

RTO

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possible reason cited is that the local government chose to act in its capacity as the

elected representative of the broader community,

“The Council should stand as the proxy for the community, that’s why

people elect them” (G3/Consultant).

If the core and most influential stakeholder group in tourism planing and decision-making

is in a position to act as a substitute for the resident community due to their elected

representative capacity, then this represents a significant challenge in ensuring broad

based, meaningful engagement of the local community. Even more importantly if

consultation with the resident community has not yet been mastered, or is still being

avoided due to ‘representative’ loopholes how are local tourism destinations going to

move towards the notion of collaborative arrangements and partnerships recognised as

enhancing the sustainable approach to tourism planning? (Berkes, 1995; Bramwell &

Lane, 2000; Bramwell & Sharman, 1999).

That resident participation could be overridden by government representation was seen as

concerning to some respondents as it has been noted that local government and

councillors may also have vested interests in the destination,

“Council’s are far too close” (D5/Industry), and, “It needs to be a range of

groups because if it is just Council it would be dangerous for them to have

control as they have commercial interests as well” (R4/Industry).

One respondent quite passionately summed up their view on the need for residents to

have a voice in tourism planning and decision-making,

“Thuringowa [Council] doesn’t have a clue about tourism and…the risks

are too great to let some pen pusher get it wrong. There needs to be

someone else involved who’s switched on enough to say this isn’t about

making money for the Council” (T5/Industry).

Despite the underlying intentions such proxy participation relates directly to Arnstein’s

(1969) ladder of citizen participation (Figure 3.1, Chapter Three). The cases investigated

for this study would certainly be located on the bottom half of the ladder characterised by

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non-participation and degrees of tokenism. Decisions are effectively made by higher

authorities and dispersed among the public to validate the process. In other cases there

may be perceived levels of potential involvement, through workshops and the like,

however citizens do not have any real decision-making authority and development

reflects the aspirations of the government and industry rather than the communities

involved (Arnstein, 1969; Murphy, 1985). Hall (2000) finds that government in Australia

have generally not integrated community participation, noting that the level of public

involvement in tourism planning can be more accurately described as a form of tokenism

in which decisions, or the direction of decisions, have already been prescribed by

government and communities rarely have the opportunity to say no. Such inaction does

little to contribute towards LA21 objectives which require that sustainable development

can only be achieved through planned, democratic, cooperative means, including

community involvement in decision-making,

“…it stipulates that every local authority must consult its citizens on local

concerns, priorities and actions regarding the environment, development

and other issues, to encourage local consideration of global issues, and to

encourage and foster community involvement” (Jackson & Morpeth,

1999, p.3).

It is also worth reiterating that local governments in Queensland must work within the

1997 Integrated Planning Act (IPA), which has the express purpose of seeking

sustainability, and of which public participation is a crucial component.

As is the case with the destinations investigated in this study, Jackson and Morpeth

(1999) found that in the UK context while isolated initiatives are under way, there is as

yet little evidence of significant community involvement in sustainable development

initiatives, and less still in terms of the implementation of sustainable tourism through the

vehicle of LA21. Similarly studies by Bahaire and Elliott-White (1999), Timothy (1998)

and Hardy and Beeton (2001) found that the government continues to retain the role as

agenda setter and then seller of ideas to the community, concurring with Gibson’s (1975)

theory of elite democracy where public participation extends as far as the election of

leaders for public office (Chapter Three). Hardy and Beeton (2001) note that as a result

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such management strategies do not reflect all stakeholders perceptions, but rather tend to

reflect those of the regulators, thus concentrating on issues such as infrastructure

provision, with little attention given to the impacts of tourism.

8.2.3.5 Local Government’s Poor Performance in Tourism Planning

The stakeholder influence assessment (Figure 8.1) confirms assertions made in the

literature that local government has a key role to play in tourism destination planning

(Hall, 2003; McKercher & Ritchie, 1997; Richins & Pearce, 2000). The interview

respondents also cited the important role local government plays in tourism planning due

to: their expertise in strategic planning, their ability to look beyond purely economic

outcomes and consider the broader needs of their constituents, and their skills and

capacity for undertaking public consultation. However this study found the tourism

planning processes to be seriously lacking in a number of areas, even in those areas

identified by respondents as capabilities of the local government authority such as

strategic planning.

So if the local government is the core stakeholder and driver of the tourism planning

process, then it is the local government that must be held primarily responsible for the

poor performance in tourism planning and the failure to incorporate sustainability

principles into the process. Studies have found that the application of sustainable

development will depend on the values and ideologies of various stakeholders (Hall,

1998) and Godfrey’s (1998) study of local government tourism officers in the UK found

that officers’ attitudes will impact upon the implementation of sustainability. This is

obviously an area for further investigation in the Queensland context (Chapter Nine,

section 9.6) but does highlight the importance of working with other stakeholder groups

to ensure a more balanced perspective.

It was noted in Chapter One that local government must have clear goals and policies for

tourism, and it is no longer sufficient to simply promote and assume that will be the

answer to developing tourism (Tourism Council of Australia & Tourism Queensland, nd).

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It was further discussed that such goals and policies should be incorporated within a

strategic tourism development plan, designed to ensure that industry, local tourism

organisations, regional tourism organisation, state government agencies and the local

council work together to benefit the community. In addition it was noted that residents

would be far more inclined to support the development of tourism if they are given the

opportunity to voice their opinions, concerns and aspirations (Tourism Council of

Australia & Tourism Queensland, nd). These are all issues that were overlooked in the

development of the tourism planning documents for the destinations investigated in this

study. The results showed that the plans quite blatantly focused on marketing and

promotion, and failed to look at the long-term, strategic implications of tourism activity,

while the influence of other stakeholder groups on the process was secondary to that of

the council, or in the case of residents either non-existent or tokenistic.

Despite their poor performance there is no doubt that local government does have, and

should have, a key role in local level planning. A study by Carson, Beattie and Gove

(2003) acknowledged local government as a key agent in sustainable tourism

management, yet claimed that there was a lack of understanding of the breadth of

sustainable management implications arising from tourism activity. This was also found

to be the case here, where despite the fact that ‘sustainable tourism’ was espoused in the

plans, the actual actions and strategies to achieve this did not cover the full gamut of

sustainable destination management issues. Dredge (2001) has also criticized local

government in Australia for not being more proactive in planning for tourism

development, however attributes this to the embedded values, beliefs, ideas and

perceptions about local government roles and responsibilities. Similarly, Jenkins (2000)

found that the role of local government in tourism still remains somewhat unclear and

uncoordinated.

Planning for a sector such as tourism has its difficulties and ensuring representative

participation in such a diverse and multi-faceted industry is not an easy feat (Simpson,

2001; Timur & Getz, 2002), particularly for destinations that have little or no experience

in tourism planning. In Australia, like many countries, primary industries have been the

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mainstay of many areas, but as these economic sectors face decline and tourism rises in

importance, local governments will be forced to re-channel their planning and

management skills to cope with a sector such as tourism (Ruhanen & Cooper, 2004).

Faulkner (1994) believes that for this to be achieved there must be a move away from the

fixation with the short-term aspect of tourism marketing. Further, as was identified in

Chapter Two, there is a need for governments to actually adopt the sustainable tourism

paradigm shift and not just gloss over the issue with ‘statements of platitudes and

rhetoric, backed by glossy images’ (Berke & Manta Conroy, 2000; Pforr, 2001; Pigram,

1990; Slee et al, 1997).

8.2.3.6 Stakeholder Power as a Contributor to Sustainability

This study found that the planning processes of local tourism destinations in Queensland

are not underpinned by the principles of sustainability. It was also found that one

particular stakeholder group had considerable influence over the local planning process,

and as such, must accept responsibility for the poor planning performance. One possible

reason, as discussed, is that there is a lack of understanding regarding sustainability and

transferring the concepts into planning practice. However the fact that there was a single

stakeholder group driving the process points towards an issue that has received attention

in the literature on stakeholder theory, that of stakeholder power.

If this is the case perhaps the adoption of sustainability principles relates directly to

power and influence and the willingness of core stakeholders to address sustainable

development principles. As Faulkner (2003) noted, the establishment of a more

strategically focused and sustainability oriented model is recognised as ultimately hinging

on the degree to which leading players among the stakeholder groups embrace it and

champion the cause. Godfrey (1998) and Hall (1998) also highlighted that the

application of sustainable development will depend on the values and ideologies of the

key stakeholders. As such Pforr (2001) highlights the need to consider the players who

determine the interpretation of sustainable tourism and analyse the political processes and

institutional arrangements in place, since these represent important mechanisms directing

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and guiding sustainable tourism development. The issue of stakeholder power as a

contributor to sustainability highlights a new area for investigation and is addressed in

Chapter Nine.

8.2.4 Strategic Visioning: Practice and Perceptions

The strategic visioning process has been suggested as a possible model for incorporating

the principles of sustainability into the tourism destination planning process (Faulkner,

2003; Ritchie, 1999) and as such was highlighted as an issue for investigation in this

study.

8.2.4.1 Theoretical and Practical Relevance to Sustainability

The concept of ‘vision’ is an important and recognised component of the traditional

strategic planning process and more recently in tourism strategic planning processes

(Hackett & Spurgeon, 1996; Hunt & Buzan, 1999; Nutt & Backoff, 1997). For this

reason the vision and community values section was included in the tourism planning

process evaluation instrument utilised in the first stage of the research. However it was

found that although vision statements were included these were not based on community

values and visions for the future. This was attributed to the fact that in many cases the

destination community did not participate in the planning process thereby making it

difficult to assess their values and visions for the future of their community.

The concept of strategic visioning has been recognised as a new but important extension

of more ‘traditional’ strategic planning processes. Even though the direction for tourism

development is implicit in a strategic planning process, strategic visioning has a stronger

emphasis on bringing together the views of the many and varied stakeholders of the

destination community through collaborative and participative processes (Ritchie, 1993).

The objective is to establish directions for tourism development in the longer term so that

the principles of sustainability are adopted as a fundamental philosophical foundation for

the planning process.

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In discussing the strategic visioning approach to tourism planning with respondents,

many identified the improved decision-making capacity and enhanced stakeholder

engagement in planning that could be generated through such an approach. However it

was the views of stakeholders who had previously participated in such a process that

provided some useful insights in considering the applicability of this approach for

incorporating the principles of sustainability into local tourism destination planning. All

of the respondents considered the strategic visioning process to have been successful in

incorporating the principles of sustainability, as well as the identified prerequisites of

strategic planning and stakeholder participation (section 8.3.1).

8.2.4.2 Destination Appropriate Methods

The respondents all considered the strategic visioning process to be applicable to other

local tourism destinations,

“It would be great for other places to use. It was definitely great in getting

everyone together and talking about the way forward” (R4/Industry).

To improve the approach several suggested modifications to the process were offered by

respondents (Chapter Seven, section 7.3.4). Process management, securing resources and

obtaining stakeholder buy-in and commitment early in the process were seen as important

in ensuring the success of the approach. The scale and nature of the destination were also

seen as possibly influencing the success of the approach and Capenerhurst (1994) has

found that within small communities residents will generally react more strongly to

development, as it is far more visible for them. This may be a key factor in considering

the applicability of the process for different size destinations. For example are the values

different in small communities compared to the larger urban cities? Sarina respondents

considered that if it’s not a bottom-up driven process there is no point in undertaking it,

“We wanted to have a strategy that was owned by the community,

developed in such a way as it was all about the whole community, so that

we had a better chance when we went to implement” (S1/Council).

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Whereas some of the respondents for the more urbanised centre of Thuringowa alluded to

the desire for a fairly tokenistic process so that they could sign off on their strategy,

“It adds credibility to the whole process and I think a lot of these things you

often know what the answer is before you start, its part of the sales process.

It’s probably cynical but quite often I look for the answer in the

consultation” (T3/Council).

Despite these caveats the process was still seen as worthwhile and offering advantages

for tourism destination planning. The need to tailor the process to the destination may

overcome some of the identified challenges,

“I think you need to customize a process for a destination. I don’t think there’s

one model that fits all because the process is dependent upon multi

stakeholder engagement, and while there are many characteristics across

destinations of stakeholders there are also unique components to particular

places, a lot of it’s to do with personalities and egos and local politics which

has to be acknowledged and managed in the process” (G2/Consultant).

8.3 A Proposed Framework: Strategic Visioning for Sustainable Tourism Planning

In addressing the research objectives set for the study and the associated issues arising

from the investigation, it becomes obvious that there are several areas requiring attention

in Queensland local tourism destination planning. It was found that, despite claims to the

contrary, there is still an over reliance on economic concerns namely destination

marketing and promotion, tourism planning processes are adopting short-term planning

horizons and in terms of stakeholder participation, key groups are being omitted while

others have considerable influence and power over the process. The research process led

to the conclusion that the principles of sustainable development, strategic planning and

stakeholder participation are not integrated into the local tourism destination planning

process.

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Despite the logic of sustainable development and its recognised relationship to planning,

as discussed in Chapter Two, there continues to be difficulty incorporating the full range

of its dimensions into local planning policies and programs (Jepson, 2004). There have

been criticisms that the literature is based around defining the concept of sustainable

tourism and has overlooked how the sustainable paradigm is actually applied in practice

(Faulkner, 2003; Garrod & Fyall, 1998). Some authors have noted that the time has

come to “walk the talk” (Bramwell & Lane, 1993, p.4) but there is believed to be a ‘grey’

area of rhetoric between sustainability principles and workable objectives and standards

(Goodall & Stabler, 1997). To address this, a conceptual framework based on the

strategic visioning approach is proposed to assist in the transference of sustainable theory

to local tourism destination planning practice. Strategic visioning has been anecdotally

cited as one possible approach for addressing sustainable tourism planning (Beatley,

1995; Berke, 2002; Jayawardena, 2003; Page & Thorn, 1997).

8.3.1 Why Strategic Visioning?

Strategic visioning for tourism destinations has been described as a new but important

extension of the more common process of strategic planning in tourism (Ritchie, 1999).

The objective is to bring together the stakeholders of the destination community in a

collaborative and participative process in an attempt to establish directions for long-term

tourism destination development. The underlying philosophy is to nurture appropriate

forms of development, through a publicly driven process based on stakeholder values and

consensus aimed at formulating a framework, which provides broad guidelines as to the

kinds of major facilities, events, and programs that the community finds most consistent

with their values and aspirations for the long term development and well being of the

community (Ritchie, 1993; Ritchie & Crouch, 2000).

The strategic visioning process has been described as a mechanism for residents and

other stakeholders to become involved in setting the agenda of their destination (Mair et

al, 2000), with the ultimate effectiveness of the process dependent on destination

stakeholders being actively involved to identify values and generate consensus. This

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consensus is generally expressed through a common or shared vision for the destination.

Equally important in the achievement of sustainability, the process also provides a means

for ensuring that a longer-term perspective informs day-to-day decision-making, as

opposed to ad hoc and centralised decision-making (Faulkner, 2003; Ritchie, 1999)

(Chapter Two). As such, the strategic visioning approach has been credited with

incorporating the principles of sustainable tourism development as a fundamental

philosophical foundation for the planning process (Choy, 1991; Faulkner, 2003).

The application of strategic visioning to the tourism destination planning context is a

relatively new phenomenon. Its theoretical underpinnings, together with reports from its

practical application in several destinations, suggest that it may be a useful process for

achieving the sustainable approach, while incorporating the caveats of strategic planning

and multiple stakeholder participation (Chapter Four). Two destinations, which have

undertaken the process, were sampled in this study and the respondents identified the

applicability of the approach in meeting sustainable development objectives, including

strategic planning and stakeholder participation (section 8.2.4). In light of the emerging

literature on the topic (Chapter Four), stakeholder interviews and other issues arising

from this study, a framework for the strategic visioning approach to tourism destination

planning was proposed for local tourism destinations (Figure 8.2).

It should be noted that the proposed framework was developed in light of Ritchie (1993)

and Faulkner’s (2003) assertions that strategic visioning is an extension of the more

traditional tourism destination planning process. Therefore the framework proposes a

strategic visioning phase as a precursor to the more traditional, and well documented,

process of strategic tourism destination planning (Chapter Four). As such, the discussion

of the proposed framework focuses on the strategic visioning phase of the planning

process.

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Figure 8.2: Proposed Strategic Visioning Framework

Strategic Visioning Process

Strategic Planning Process

Shared Strategic Vision Based on

Identified Stakeholder

Values

- Identification of likely core and periphery stakeholders - Identification of stakeholder assets and liabilities - Identification of existing and emergent stakeholder power

Strategic Tourism Planning Tools: Stakeholder Values/ Situation Analysis/

Strategic Orientation

Stakeholder Stocktake

Sustainability Assessment - Recognise and address

knowledge gaps - Assess sustainability in the context of the destination

-Representation by broad base of stakeholders -Agreed upon guidelines for the destination based on stakeholder values -Provide direction and focus for strategic planning phase

Destination Appropriate

Strategic Planning Process

-Destination vision to guide the development of planning and management strategies -Long-term strategic focus -Utilise tourism planning tools to ensure key strategic planning elements are incorporated -Organisational structures for destination resource management

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8.3.2 Strategic Visioning Phase

The strategic visioning phase of the proposed framework can effectively be viewed as

developing the foundation for the larger tourism planning process. This phase gives

particular attention to identifying and developing strategies for addressing stakeholder

values and incorporating their involvement in the process, problems identified both in the

literature and this study. In addition the strategic visioning phase focuses on

sustainability, namely developing an understanding of the concept and its practical

application in tourism planning, also a significant problem cited in the literature and

stakeholder interviews.

8.3.2.1 The Stakeholder Stocktake: Developing Stakeholder Strategies

Meaningful and genuine stakeholder participation and collaboration in the planning

process is the foundation upon which the strategic visioning process is based and as such

is considered at all stages of the proposed framework. Although an issue that has been

reiterated throughout the literature, it must be reinforced that sustainable tourism cannot

be successfully implemented without the direct support and involvement of those who are

affected by it (Marien & Pizam, 1997; Singh, 2003). As such an assessment of

stakeholder groups should be the first task in the development of the tourism destination

planning methodology, and should be undertaken before the actual planning process

begins. Based on the acknowledged challenges associated with broad based stakeholder

involvement in planning activity (Chapter Three), and the difficulty of managing

stakeholder participation identified by the participants in this study, the first stage of the

process requires a ‘stakeholder stocktake’, in effect an assessment of all stakeholder

groups in the destination.

The stakeholder stocktake includes several critical components designed to contribute

towards the adoption of sustainability principles into the tourism destination planning

process. A first and seemingly basic task is to identify all of the stakeholder groups in the

destination. As noted in Chapter Three, stakeholder theory is based on the premise that

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firms must acknowledge persons or groups with legitimate interests in the organization,

whether or not the organization has any interest in the stakeholder (Donaldson & Preston,

1995; Jones, 1995; Sautter & Leisen, 1999). For tourism destinations the primary

stakeholder groups are considered to be the government, industry and resident

community. Conceptualising these broad stakeholder groups (and subsets of these

stakeholder groupings) in terms of core and periphery (Figure 8.1) may assist in the

development of stakeholder engagement strategies for the visioning exercise (section

8.3.2.3).

This process should also include an assessment of stakeholder assets and liabilities. It is

widely noted in the literature (Chapter Three) that there are a vast array of challenges

associated with stakeholder participation and this study also highlighted some of the

difficulties including apathy, differing values and conflict. Identifying and recognising

these challenges and of course the benefits that stakeholders can bring to the process may

assist in reducing the tensions often associated with multiple stakeholder involvement.

To further assist it is recommended that appropriate strategies be developed to deal with

these challenges as they arise, as such difficulties cannot be continually used as an excuse

for not including stakeholders in the process and engaging in autocratic planning. For

instance Marien and Pizam (1997) find that citizens will usually refuse to participate in

tourism planning unless it affects their personal income, health or safety or their quality

of life. Acknowledging and accepting this is an important part in preparing for the

process and can assist in guiding the development of appropriate participation and

consultation models.

The effect of stakeholder influence and power over the planning process and its outcomes

should also be acknowledged and assessed before the process moves forward. The

concept of core and periphery stakeholder groups was identified as a key issue in local

tourism planning, and one that can hinder the achievement of sustainability objectives

(section 8.2.3.6). By identifying the relationships and influences of the various

stakeholder groups before planning begins, process management strategies can be put in

place to monitor existing and potentially emergent stakeholder power. However it would

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be unrealistic to suggest that such actions will totally alleviate power bases, as some

stakeholder groups such as local government, have inherent power and usually vested

financial interests in the process and outcomes of the plan. They are also most likely to

be the stakeholder group that assumes responsibility for managing the process. Once

again token engagement of certain stakeholder groups will do little to address the real

issues of power and will not contribute anything new to the planning process. However it

is suggested that acknowledging the power players before beginning the planning process

can assist in recognising any undue or deviant influence over the process. The use of

multi stakeholder steering committees and the like can also assist in gaining a more

balanced assessment of these issues.

The final element proposed for the stakeholder stocktake stage, and the first exercise to

be undertaken when the visioning process officially begins, is an assessment of

community attitudes towards tourism. It has been said that understanding a community’s

sensitivity to tourism development is the first, and most important, step in planning for

sustained tourism development (Chapter Three). Numerous methods can be utilised to

undertake such an activity including surveys, media campaigns and community

workshops, among others (Bahaire & Elliott-White, 1999; Berke, 2002; Choi & Sirakaya,

2005; Glass, 1979; Hall & McArthur, 1998; Healey, 1997; Jepson, 2004; Marien &

Pizam, 1997; Maxwell, 2000; Mowforth & Munt, 1998; Murphy 1988; Ritchie, 1988;

Yuksel, Bramwell & Yuksel, 1999). Despite the particular method utilised, which will

ultimately depend on the resources available, what is important is that the exercise is

undertaken. Without an understanding of the broader community attitudes towards

tourism, any efforts or directions developed for the destination may prove to be futile in

the longer term if community does not exist. It should also be noted that this stage is not

seen as constituting stakeholder participation but is considered part of the research phase

of the process. Stakeholder participation in the development of the destination vision is

discussed further in section 8.3.2.3.

The stakeholder stocktake is considered a fundamental component of the proposed

strategic visioning framework. While the need for stakeholder empowerment, power and

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assessing community attitudes in tourism planning are not new concepts; there has been

little practical discussion of how these issues should be addressed. The strategic

visioning approach proposes that assessments of these issues are conducted as a

preliminary activity in the larger planning process and where necessary appropriate

strategies are devised so that these issues can be managed throughout the process.

However the ultimate success of this phase, and indeed the larger process outlined in the

framework, is dependent on a significant shift in how broad based stakeholder

participation and engagement is viewed by the dominant stakeholder groups.

Stakeholder groups must be empowered to participate in the planning process and make

decisions (Brown & Essex, 1997). It has been quite rightly suggested that without the

process of empowerment “sustainable tourism simply recycles old methods such as

participation in a new language” (Crouch, 1994, p.98). This will require those who

assume responsibility for the planning process, most often the local government, to

genuinely accept the value, benefits and need for broad based stakeholder participation

and engagement. If this fundamental principle of the strategic visioning approach is not

embraced, or is hidden through tokenistic actions, there is little point in moving forward,

as nothing will have changed from the tourism planning processes undertaken previously

and moves towards sustainability will not be achieved.

8.3.2.2 Strategic Visioning as a Learning Process: Understanding Sustainability

It was highlighted in both the literature review (Chapter Two) and the local tourism

destinations investigated in this study that there are some considerable difficulties in

translating sustainability theory to practice. The failure of local tourism destinations to

incorporate the concept of sustainability into tourism planning processes was considered

by many respondents to be attributable to a lack of understanding regarding the concept.

Therefore the strategic visioning phase of the planning process should also be used as a

period of education before embarking on the actual planning process. Similar to the

discussion on auditing stakeholders, an assessment should also be made of the concept of

sustainability. Identifying gaps in the knowledge base of stakeholders, setting

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sustainability terms of reference and considering what sustainability means for the

particular destination would be valuable in ensuring the principles are translated into the

goals and objectives of the planning process, and more importantly the resulting action

strategies. For example reinforcing the notion of the triple bottom line and how it can be

addressed through sustainable tourism planning would be a key issue in a sustainability

assessment for local tourism destinations in Queensland, which on the whole performed

poorly in this area. Fyall and Garrod (1997) support such a notion as they found that

defining the concept of sustainable development and establishing it as an objective of the

tourism industry are the first steps in achieving genuinely sustainable tourism. This was

proven to be successful in the strategic visioning process undertaken on Stradbroke

Island, with one respondent discussing that,

“At first most of us did not know what the term meant but we spent quite a

lot of time actually understanding what sustainable tourism was all about

and we are now champions of that, can now appreciate why sustainable

tourism is so important for the future of the island” (R4/Industry).

A further issue raised in the study was that some respondents consider long-term

planning and strategic thinking to be a reactive strategy, employed if and when a problem

arises in the destination. This idea certainly does not concur with sustainability principles

where long-term thinking and strategic planning for the destination is of vital importance.

This requires an educational strategy on two levels. Firstly destination planners and

drivers of the planning process must be made aware of, either by their peers or through

higher levels of government, the importance of strategic planning. This would ideally

arise in the sustainability assessment discussed previously, as was the case in the Gold

Coast process,

“The visioning process basically lifted where people’s expectations and

their thoughts were in relation to tourism planning, instead of talking about

action planning they actually knew what strategic thinking was about.

Because people operating a business aren’t trained in that way of thinking,

that’s not how they go about operating…when you’re working with

stakeholders who aren’t used to strategic planning and strategic thinking

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you’ve got to actually go through an education process to actually get them

thinking at that level” (G1/Council).

The second level would involve educating the general public. The issue of apathy was

raised by a number of respondents as a challenge in engaging the resident community in

tourism planning. An education campaign where the general public can see the

relevance of planning activities and recognise the importance of determining what the

destination will look like in the longer term may help to overcome this. As was noted

previously, the public are unlikely to be motivated to become involved in planning until

the situation has become intolerable and tourism is perceived as a threat to be opposed

(Bahaire & Elliott-White, 1999). The public’s ability to block tourism proposals should

not be underestimated (Hawkins & Cunningham, 1996; Murphy & Murphy, 2004). This

is obviously not a situation that tourism destination planners would relish and may prove

far more difficult to ‘manage’ than developing proactive and innovative strategies to

engage the resident community in tourism planning in the early stages of the

destination’s development.

8.3.2.3 Strategic Visioning: Developing the Vision

The first two aspects of the strategic visioning phase are primarily concerned with the

underpinning principles of the strategic visioning concept- ensuring stakeholder strategies

are in place and moving through an educational process regarding the concept of

sustainability. However it is the development of a shared destination vision, which is the

key objective for undertaking a strategic visioning process.

As noted in Chapter Four, vision has been defined as a practical and achievable picture or

description of the nature of the organization’s business as it is intended to be at some time

in the future (Hussey, 1999; Nanus, 1992; Wolf & Gering, 1998). It can be considered as

a future goal or target that the organization is striving towards (Hunt & Buzan 1999; Nutt

& Backoff, 1997), which instills commitment and motivates people to achieve the vision

(Hackett & Spurgeon, 1996; Nutt & Backoff, 1997). In the context of a community,

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strategic visioning aims to establish a long-term vision of what the community can be and

achieve in the long run (Kotler et al, 1993). Here visioning is characterised by an

emphasis on community assets, weighing up the options and opportunities on the basis of

shared purposes and values, with the process stressing early and continuous public

involvement. Strategic visioning for communities specifically seeks to consider as many

options as possible, with the purpose of developing a cooperative, integrated, and

democratically derived consensus into a single integrated vision, which will set the long-

term strategies for the future. In a tourism destination context, strategic visioning

involves bringing together the views of the many organizations and individuals of both

the industry and the destination community to formulate a framework, which provides

broad guidelines as to the kinds of major facilities, events, and programs that the

community finds most consistent with their values and aspirations for the long term

development and well being of the community (Ritchie, 1993). A well-articulated vision

that has been constructed in a manner that ensures it represents a consensus among

stakeholders then provides the focus for the strategic planning process (Faulkner, 2003).

There is no one right way to develop a vision and it has been said that the technical

details of ‘how to’ should not be prescribed (Stewart et al, 2004). Some of the processes

used in community applications were outlined in Chapter Four and may be useful in

suggesting some more detailed guidelines for destinations to utilise (Chapter Nine,

section 9.6). In the tourism context it was noted in Chapter Four that aside from

Faulkner’s (2003) account of the Gold Coast process, the literature has yet to give

consideration to the actual process of visioning. Senge (1990) also does not offer a

prescriptive account on how a vision should be generated. However he does suggest that

the concept of shared vision in the learning organizational context (Senge, 1990, 1994)

should be a developmental process and constructed from a coherent process of reflection

and conversation. Senge et al (1994) actually note that it is most important to focus on

the dialogue, and not just the vision statement, as the process of visioning is more

important than the product. This is because the process of developing a vision involves

an evolving ongoing process in which people at every level can speak on what really

matters to them, and should be heard by both leaders and one another. In doing so the

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communication of ideas gathers pace and the vision becomes increasingly clear (Senge et

al, 1994), as was the case in the Stradbroke Island visioning process,

“So the visioning started with a very simple hand holding ceremony on the

Island where people just shared what they felt was important about their

Island, and through that process it was quite amazing that on a half day

workshop, by the end of it they actually appreciated the same values. It was

the same values. They all fundamentally were hoping for a similar outcome

that they were talking, taking completely different perspectives, and they

were using different words. It doesn’t mean the journeys ended but I mean

it was a hell of a good start and I think that’s a pretty powerful thing, so to

a certain extent the vision was a very simple one but it was more

galvanization” (R1/Consultant).

Senge’s team learning discipline can also be seen as useful here. As a natural step from

shared vision, team learning can arise from the collective aspirations, which emerge

through visioning and give team members a compelling reason to begin to learn how to

learn and work together. In a tourism context such a notion may work towards

overcoming the often cited fragmentation of the sector (Ruhanen & Cooper, 2004).

Senge et al (1994) claim that teams are now recognised as a critical component of every

enterprise and the predominant unit for decision making and getting things done. Such a

notion resonates with the need for collaboration and engagement between stakeholders in

an attempt to move towards a more sustainable form of tourism planning (Jamal & Getz,

1995) (Chapter Three).

The Gold Coast model used the creation of a vision, in the format of a visioning

workshop, as a means of engaging stakeholders in decision-making and setting the

foundations for strategic planning in the destination. However one of the main criticisms

levelled at the Gold Coast visioning exercise is the fact that the actual ‘visioning’ came at

the end of the process (Appendix Five), whereas the process undertaken on Stradbroke

Island was considered by participants to be more organic,

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“I think you can do visions in a variety of ways. I mean the formalised

vision at the Gold Coast was that you pull together, opinion leaders in all

the groups, green groups, community, council, that's one way of doing it.

So you’ve got opinion leaders who then come together to share their

values but again whose vision is it? Another way is you actually go out to

the community in the broad sense and you have you know workshops in

the community and through that you have a statement of intent and to a

certain extent, Straddie was a statement of intent. In fact the vision was

actually ‘what are our values’ and I don’t think it’s wrong. I don’t think

there is any one way to do it” (R1/Consultant).

Walzer et al (1995) note that there are a number of approaches that can be used but in

generating a vision a series of meetings are generally held during which the community’s

situation is assessed and alternative visions are developed and refined. At this point the

meetings generally result in a statement of vision, goals and tasks for the community to

undertake as well as the identification of priority goals and action strategies. Planners

must determine an appropriate scale and scope for developing the vision for their

destination given that the size of the destination, the nature of tourism within the

destination and the resource commitments required, will all be factors for consideration.

Walzer et al’s (1995) review of community visioning programs identified two key

common characteristics for success, which are useful to consider here as guiding

principles for the process. Firstly local leaders and residents should have a clear

understanding of the visioning process and its limitations, particularly the commitment

and effort required to make the program a success. Secondly, a well-balanced

community team of stakeholders is required and ignoring segments of the community

will limit the perspective of the team and preclude interesting and productive ideas, in

addition to the fact that if the program participants are not representative the community

may not embrace the vision and resulting strategies (Walzer et al, 1995).

Despite the approach taken, what is important is that the people who are affected by

tourism development, or want to be included, have the opportunity to be involved in

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developing the vision for the future of the destination. Such engagement is necessary so

that a true consensus on the preferred directions of future development, and the actions

necessary to achieve this, can be developed (Faulkner, 2003). These issues are discussed

as an area for further research (Chapter Nine, section 9.6).

8.3.2.4 Transition from Visioning to Planning

The objective of visioning is to set out the broad outlines or direction of a strategy, while

leaving the specific details to be worked out through the strategic planning process

(Mintzberg, 1994). However before moving from the strategic visioning phase of the

process to the strategic planning phase, the previously identified ‘foundation principles’

must be adequately addressed. Due to time and financial constraints, and possibly

embedded attitudes towards broad based decision-making, many destination planners will

want to move quickly through the strategic visioning phase. If this is the case, then the

problems identified in both the literature and this study are not going to be rectified, and

there will be no real move towards a tourism planning approach underpinned by

sustainability principles. It is just as important, if not more so, to ensure the first stage of

the planning process, the strategic visioning phase (top triangle, Figure 8.2) has been met

and in effect signed off on by the community before starting the second stage, the

strategic planning process (bottom triangle, Figure 8.2). It is necessary for the destination

vision and direction for the destination to be agreed upon, at least in principle, to frame

the goals and objectives sought from tourism development and activity. Without

progressing through this first phase, the same issues and challenges are going to continue

to arise.

Challenges are likely to arise in the visioning phase of the process as it represents a

significant departure from approaches used in the past, particularly in terms of

stakeholder participation. As discussed, the strategic visioning approach is based on

genuine stakeholder participation, engagement and empowerment (Ritchie, 1993; Ritchie

& Crouch, 2000), and the ultimate effectiveness of the process relies on destination

stakeholders being actively involved to identify values and generate consensus (Mair et

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al, 2000). The private sector experience of visioning (Chapter Four) highlights the

importance of involving a wide range of stakeholders in the development of the vision

with Nutt and Backoff (1997) noting that the greatest organizational successes arise when

the vision is developed with ideas drawn from many people. The considerable

experience of the private sector should not be ignored when considering the applicability

of strategic visioning for tourism destinations.

While the proposed strategic visioning framework includes recommendations to develop

strategies to overcome some of the likely challenges, it would be unrealistic to suggest

that such actions will alleviate all the problems that might arise in the planning process.

The process of vision development, while offering numerous benefits, is not going to be

an easy task, particularly for destinations such as those in this study which have yet to

master the basics of strategic planning. Ritchie & Crouch (2000) also acknowledge that

developing consensus on a shared ‘ideal future state’ for a destination is not always easy

within diverse, democratic societies. It has also been noted that vision development can

be obscured by day-to-day practices, the prevailing organizational culture and structure

(Senge et al, 1994). Further the more people involved in the development of the vision,

the greater the potential for a diversity of views to break out which can dissipate focus

and may generate conflict (Flood, 1999). Although absolute consensus on the vision

may not be reached it is important that destination stakeholders agree that the final vision

statement provides both a meaningful and operational ‘dream’ for the future of their

destination- one that reflects the values of the destination stakeholders, while not

ignoring the realities and constraints of the marketplace (Ritchie & Crouch, 2000).

Obviously a challenge in undertaking the strategic visioning phase will be the associated

costs and resources required and the respondents in this study noted that resources for

such a process could be an issue. Strategic planning, whether preceded by a strategic

visioning phase or not, still requires stakeholder engagement and an assessment of

community values. Engaging stakeholders will require a financial commitment despite

the method used. Strategic visioning should be conceptualised as not only an extension

of the more traditional strategic planning process, but as a ‘reorganization’ of the

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strategic planning process. It should also be considered a means of reinvigorating

stakeholder engagement models, a need identified by respondents in this study. By

reorganising the strategic planning process and setting in place the foundations of

stakeholder assessments, engagement and input into a vision of the future of the

destination, the actual strategic planning process may in fact be streamlined and

simplified. When it is time to begin the planning phase it is not necessary to consult with

stakeholders again- this has already been done and their views and values are

documented in the vision statement which provides the focus and direction for the

development of planning and management strategies.

8.3.3 The Strategic Planning Phase

The strategic visioning phase is designed to provide the foundations for the planning

process, keeping in mind that strategic visioning is considered an extension of the typical

strategic planning process undertaken for tourism destinations (Ritchie, 1999). As

discussed, stakeholder participation and engagement has been addressed through the

visioning phase and therefore the strategic planning phase is focused on transforming the

destination vision into planning and management strategies for the destination.

While strategic tourism destination planning has been practiced, in various forms, for

some time, the study of local tourism destinations in Queensland highlighted that this is

not necessarily being undertaken as well as it could. As such the strategic planning phase

of the framework highlights some of the key components of strategic planning which are

pertinent to sustainability.

8.3.3.1 A Long-Term Focus to Guide the Destination

As with undertaking a destination vision, the strategic planning methodology that a

destination can follow is quite varied and in many instances is influenced by the

consultant or planners preference, as could be seen in the planning documents analysed in

this study. Essentially the tourism destination strategic planning process involves making

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a sequence of choices and decisions about the deployment of resources committing a

destination to a future course of action (Brownlie, 1994). The process is well

documented (Chapter Three) and as such will not be reiterated here except to say that

despite the process used, what is important in the move towards sustainability is that the

planning horizon adopts a long-term, strategic view.

The planning horizon is considered a vital factor in achieving sustainability and it has

been noted that there is a need to overcome, the often reverted to, short-term perspective

if this is to occur (Cooper 2002; Jepson, 2004; Lew & Hall, 1998; Swarbrooke, 1998; von

Friedrichs Grangsjo, 2003). The strategic visioning process is considered a means for

overcoming such short-term outlooks due to its focus on the future and the respondents

who had participated in strategic visioning processes noted this. As such the strategic

planning process would focus on translating the vision into planning and management

strategies, which can be implemented in the destination.

While the strategic planning process can be many and varied, there are recognised

components (Chapter Three). This study found that some of the key elements of

strategic planning, included within the tourism planning evaluation instrument, were

excluded from the planning processes (section 8.1.1). It is suggested that instruments

such as the one used in this study would provide a useful resource for destinations

progressing through the strategic planning phase of the process. Further by ensuring that

the strategic visioning phase has been adequately completed, a number of the sections in

the evaluation instrument would have already been addressed before the actual strategic

planning process begins. In this instance the visioning exercise is conducted in order to

develop enough consensus on purposes and values to guide issue identification and

strategy formulation.

8.3.4 The Framework: Addressing Sustainability

The conceptual framework (Figure 8.2) brings together the notion of strategic visioning,

discussed as an emerging planning approach in the literature, as well as the identified

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prerequisites of a sustainable tourism planning approach, strategic planning and

stakeholder participation. It also integrates the challenges identified in the research of

incorporating sustainability principles into a local tourism planning process. The

conceptual framework has been portrayed as an hourglass based on the notion that until

the first phase has been completed (the strategic visioning triangle) it is not possible to

fill in the second phase (the strategic planning triangle). It has also been noted that the

first phase is just as important as the second, although it must be acknowledged that it is

also likely to be the most difficult due to the need for broad based and genuine

stakeholder involvement.

Chapter Three highlighted some of the criticisms of broad based stakeholder and

community participation in tourism planning including financial costs, time frame, the

dilution of power and loss of control over matters previously internal to the industry, the

need for education as communities are not equipped to assess and understand tourism

development potential, and apathy towards participation (Blank, 1989; Cole, 1997; de

Kadt, 1979; Douglas, 1989; Federspiel, 1991; Jackson & Morpeth, 1999; Jenkins, 1993;

Long, 1991; Madrigal, 1995; McIntyre, 1993; Trousdale, 1999; Weaver, 2006).

However such difficulties cannot be continually used as an excuse for autocratic planning

which leaves destination stakeholders, particularly the local community, with little or no

input into decisions that affect them. Such entrenched attitudes will also make little

contribution towards sustainability goals.

The proposed framework is conceptual and has not been tested in this research. It does

not offer a blueprint as each destination will have different issues, but it does offer a

framework within which to move towards a sustainable approach to tourism destination

planning. Hall (2000) actually argues that an optimum form of tourism planning is a

contested concept and the variety and complexity of local issues influences sustainability

goals. He therefore states that it may be more productive to focus attention on

developing more generic planning frameworks, which will be broad enough to allow for

flexible interpretation to suit the variety of local issues. As such the proposed framework

for strategic visioning provides some guiding principles, which destinations can utilise

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and adapt, to engage in planning underpinned by sustainability principles. However, the

framework is proposed as one, which based on the literature and refined by the results of

this study, should be tested for its applicability in further research (Chapter Nine, section

9.6).

The framework offers one assessment of the strategic visioning process for tourism

destinations. As noted in Chapter Four, there is a growing body of literature

acknowledging the benefits of strategic visioning for tourism destinations, yet aside from

Faulkner’s discussion of the Gold Coast process, frameworks and models have not been

proposed. Faulkner’s assessment of the Gold Coast was valuable in this regard yet it too

was conceptual in nature and discussed visioning only in the context of a maturing

destination. However the framework proposed in this study offers some core ideals,

which have applicability to a range of destinations and offer some guidelines for local

tourism destinations to move towards a sustainable approach to tourism planning. As the

process is applied in more destinations the implications and results will contribute to

understanding the relevance of strategic visioning as a contributor to sustainable tourism

planning and highlight areas for modification and further research (Chapter Nine).

8.4 Chapter Eight Summary

This study sought to examine the transference of sustainable tourism theory to practice by

investigating the extent to which the sustainable tourism planning philosophy is utilised

in the planning practices of local tourism destinations in Queensland. In order to address

this issue, three research objectives were developed and investigated through a two-stage

data collection process. In addressing the research objectives it was found that

sustainability is not the underlying approach to local tourism destination planning in

Queensland as evidenced by an over emphasis on economic concerns, short-term

planning horizons and the exclusion of key stakeholder groups from the process.

However some of the reasons for these problems were uncovered in the research where it

was found that the sustainability concept and its application to practice is not understood

and particular stakeholder groups had considerable influence over the planning process.

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It could be argued that local tourism destinations should master the basics of strategic

planning before attempting to engage in strategic visioning. However the current

approaches of local tourism destinations are doing little in the move towards

sustainability. To address these issues a conceptual framework of the strategic visioning

approach to tourism planning was outlined. The framework is proposed as a possible

means for ensuring sustainability philosophies including strategic planning and

stakeholder participation, are incorporated into the tourism planning process. The

applicability of the framework, identified in both the literature and confirmed by

stakeholder respondents was considered in light of the challenges identified in the

research of incorporating sustainability principles into a local tourism planning process.

Although the framework is conceptual it does offer one method for integrating the

principles of sustainability into the tourism destination planning process and is proposed

as an approach to be tested in further research (Chapter Nine).

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Chapter Nine

Conclusions

9.0 Introduction

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which sustainable development

principles, strategic planning and stakeholder participation, are integrated into the

planning practices of local tourism destinations. Additionally the study sought to develop

a theoretical framework to facilitate the application of sustainability principles to local

tourism destination planning. The concept of sustainable development and its application

to the tourism sector has received considerable attention within academia and has become

a focus of the policy agenda at all levels of government. The wealth of literature on the

topic would suggest that tourism destinations have embraced the sustainable approach to

tourism planning, however some authors disagree. Both the public and private tourism

sectors have received criticism for their progress towards sustainability, with some

authors noting that sustainability principles are not put into practice due to the fact that

economic motivations are given priority over social and ecological issues (Getz, 1986;

Hall, 1998). Academics have also been criticized for their preoccupation with defining

and debating the definitional aspects of sustainable tourism at the expense of considering

the practical aspects, particularly the development of tools to implement the concept in

practice (Garrod & Fyall, 1998). As Simpson (2001, p.4) noted,

“Whilst the concepts of stakeholder participation and strategic orientation

are widely endorsed as valuable contributors to sustainable development,

there have been no previous attempts to gauge the extent to which such

considerations play their part in real world tourism planning processes”.

In order to determine the extent to which sustainable tourism underpins the planning

practices of tourism destinations, this study investigated the planning practices of local

tourism destinations in Queensland. To address the research issue three research

objectives were developed. The first objective was to investigate the current planning

practices of local tourism destinations in Queensland to determine the extent to which the

318

principles of sustainable development, strategic planning and stakeholder participation

are integrated into the tourism planning process. The second objective was to examine

destination stakeholders’ perceptions of the local tourism planning process and the extent

to which the principles of sustainable development, strategic planning and stakeholder

participation underpin the process. The third objective was to consider the applicability

of strategic visioning as a practical planning approach for implementing sustainable

development principles, strategic planning and stakeholder participation into local

tourism planning.

This chapter firstly presents the conclusions and implications of the three research

objectives developed for the study. Secondly, the significance of the research is

discussed, as is the contribution the study has made to both theory and practice. The

limitations of the study and applicability of the method are considered before the agenda

for future research is outlined.

9.1 Research Objective One: Conclusions and Implications

It has been said that the sustainable approach to tourism planning is particularly useful at

the local level due to the fact that this is where tourism’s negative influences are felt most

acutely (Aronsson, 2000; Ashworth, 1995; Nijkamp & Verdonkschot, 1995). However,

in addressing the first research objective of the study it was found that the planning

practices of local tourism destinations in Queensland are not underpinned by the

principles of sustainable development. This is despite the fact that at both the

international and national policy levels LA21 guidelines cite the need for sustainability to

be incorporated into local level planning. Such requirements are further reiterated at the

state and particularly local government levels with the 1997 IPA requiring local level

planning in Queensland to be guided by ecologically sustainable development.

The recognised contributors of a sustainable approach, strategic planning and stakeholder

participation, were also not evident within many of the analysed planning processes

(Chapter Six). Long-term, strategic thinking about the future of the destination was not

319

evident and confirms assertions that where the tourism industry does plan, there is a

tendency to revert to short-term perspectives focused on more immediate outcomes

(Cooper 2002; Jepson, 2004; Lew & Hall, 1998; Swarbrooke, 1998; von Friedrichs

Grangsjo, 2003). Similarly while multiple stakeholder groups were cited in the planning

documents as participating in the process to varying degrees, the residents of the

destination, recognised as a vital participant for sustainability, were generally not

included. The need to, and importance of, involving the resident community in planning

has spawned a wealth of academic literature, and not only in the field of tourism (Chapter

Three). Such sentiments are further reflected in policy platforms, but this does not seem

to be transcending to local level tourism destination planning in Queensland. The results

of the study therefore concur with the international situation where some commentators

have noted that broad based participation is not actually incorporated into tourism

destination planning (Bahaire & Elliott-White, 1999; Hall, 1998; Long & Glendinning,

1992; Timothy, 1999; Wall, 1996).

Further evidence that the planning practices of local tourism destinations in Queensland

are not underpinned by sustainable development principles could be seen in the fact that

while sustainable development terminology might be incorporated within the plan, the

actual action strategies revert to economic concerns. This result supports the notion that

sustainable tourism policies may give the appearance of a paradigm shift but in reality are

focused on the traditional concern of economic returns (Butler, 1991; Dovers &

Handmer, 1993; Getz, 1986; Hall, 1998; Harrison et al, 2003; Wight, 2003). While the

results of this study are particular to local tourism destinations in Queensland, and cannot

be generalised, this phase of the research has supported the notion that economic

motivations are given priority over social and ecological issues (Getz, 1986; Hall, 1998).

Further the results of this study contradict the assertions discussed in Chapter Three that

there has been a significant evolution in tourism planning paradigms from narrow

concerns with promotion to a more balanced form of planning recognising the need for

greater community involvement and environmental sensitivity (Gunn, 1977; Inskeep

1991; Murphy 1985; Pearce, 1982; Timothy, 1999; Tosun & Jenkins, 1998). As such the

criticisms levelled at the public sector in Australia for their adoption of sustainability

320

principles, in this case, seems to be justified (Faulkner, 2003; Hall, 2003, 1994;

McKercher, 1993) and as such this study concurs with the view that government policies

and plans for sustainable tourism development are little more than statements of

platitudes and rhetoric, backed by glossy images (Berke & Manta Conroy, 2000; Pforr,

2001; Pigram, 1990; Slee et al, 1997).

9.2 Research Objective Two: Conclusions and Implications

To address the second research objective in-depth stakeholder interviews were

conducted, which provided some insights into the reasons why the sustainable approach

is not reflected in the planning practices of local tourism destinations. Although

dominant economic motivations are a factor, the poor performance in sustainable tourism

planning was attributed to a large degree to a lack of understanding regarding the

principles underlying sustainable tourism development and how to apply the concept in

practice. This confirms anecdotal concerns raised in the literature that there is a gap

between sustainability doctrine and its practical application (Harrison et al, 2003;

MacLellan, 1997; Simpson, 2001; Swarbrooke, 1998; Trousdale, 1999) and agrees with

Godfrey (1998) arguments that while the industry may in principle support the concept,

this has been without a full understanding of its meaning or its implications for planning

and development activity. As such there was some consensus by respondents that there

is a need for tools and processes, which could be utilised for tourism planning, an issue

also highlighted in the literature (Chapter Two).

A further issue related to stakeholders influence over the planning process. In all cases

the local government authority was considered to have an important role but was also

seen to have considerable influence over the planning process and its outcomes. This

influence was enhanced in a number of instances where resident participation was

omitted due to the local government acting in their capacity as elected representatives.

Such actions reflect Arnstein’s (1969) notions of non-participation and tokenism, the

result of which is development that reflects the aspirations of the government and

industry rather than the communities involved (Murphy, 1985). These results also

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support Hall’s (2000) claim that governments in Australia have generally not integrated

community participation, and that public involvement in tourism planning can be more

accurately described as a form of tokenism in which decisions, or the direction of

decisions, have already been prescribed by government and communities rarely have the

opportunity to say no.

These results augment criticisms of the public sector made in the literature (Chapters

Two and Three) and its role in local level tourism planning. While not denying the

important role local government should play, local government as the core stakeholder

and driver of the tourism planning process, must be held responsible for the failure to

incorporate sustainability principles into the tourism planning process. Despite

assumptions regarding the capacity of local government to plan for the destination it does

appear that the desired educational strategies, tools and processes for implementing

sustainability may actually be required for the planners and not the ‘uneducated’ broader

community who have been accused of hindering the planning process (Cole, 1997; de

Kadt, 1979; Din, 1993; Douglas, 1989; Federspiel, 1991; Haywood, 1988; Inskeep, 1991;

Long, 1991; Madrigal, 1995; McIntyre, 1993; Trousdale, 1999; Weaver, 2006).

9.3 Research Objective Three: Conclusions and Implications

The third research objective of the study was to consider the applicability of strategic

visioning as a practical planning approach for implementing sustainable development

principles, strategic planning and stakeholder participation into local tourism planning.

The perceptions of stakeholder respondents who had participated in a strategic visioning

exercise provided some useful viewpoints to assist in the consideration of the

appropriateness of this approach which has been anecdotally cited as one possible

approach for addressing sustainable tourism planning (Beatley, 1995; Berke, 2002;

Jayawardena, 2003; Page & Thorn, 1997). The respondents confirmed the value of

strategic visioning and the contribution it could make to sustainable tourism planning.

All of the respondents considered the strategic visioning approach to be a useful means of

ensuring sustainable development principles underpin the process, even those that cited

322

challenges with the method. The prerequisites to sustainability, strategic planning and

stakeholder participation, were also seen as adequately incorporated within strategic

visioning.

Based on the emerging literature and the perspectives of stakeholders who had

participated in a strategic visioning exercise, a conceptual framework for strategic

visioning was developed (Chapter Eight). The framework incorporates the identified

prerequisites of a sustainable tourism planning approach, strategic planning and

stakeholder participation, and addresses a number of the challenges associated with

sustainable tourism planning identified in the literature and again in this study. The

framework is based on a two-phase approach where a strategic visioning process,

incorporating a stakeholder stocktake of issues, values and power relations, and an

educational strategy for sustainable tourism, precedes the more traditional strategic

planning process for tourism which is guided by an agreed upon vision for the

destination.

The proposed framework, while conceptual and not tested in this research, offers a set of

principles to guide the tourism destination planning process. Further research (section

9.6) and application of the framework will determine its ultimate applicability and

effectiveness as a practical planning approach for implementing sustainable development

principles, strategic planning and stakeholder participation into local tourism destination

planning. However, based on the literature and issues identified in this study the

framework is proposed as one which can assist in the transference of sustainable theory to

local tourism destination planning practice.

9.4 Significance of the Study and Contribution to the Body of Knowledge

This study has found that sustainable tourism planning is not being widely practiced in

local tourism destinations in Queensland, confirming the suspicions of some authors

(Getz, 1986; Hall, 1998) and countering the assertions of others (Cooper, 1995; Ritchie &

Crouch, 2000). As such, the significance of this study lies not only in the insight it has

323

provided into the planning practices of local tourism destinations, but also in the

provision of a conceptual framework for addressing sustainable tourism planning through

strategic visioning. This was achieved despite some limitations to the study as outlined

in Chapter Five. These included the possibility that there may have been additional local

tourism planning documents, which were not included in the analysis, in particular, the

publication of additional documents since the sampling period. An additional challenge,

and one which was not anticipated at the outset of the study, was the inability to

interview ordinary residents of the case study destinations who had participated in the

planning process. Despite concerted attempts to overcome this, it was deemed that

residents could not participate in the interviews, and the omission of their perspectives is

acknowledged as a limitation given that destination residents are acknowledged in the

literature as a key stakeholder. The final limitation, while recognized as an inherent

challenge of qualitative research, is that the researcher’s personal perspectives may have

influenced the interpretation of the data despite the use of more objective measurement

tools such as the tourism planning process evaluation instrument.

Despite these limitations, the research methods employed, particularly the adoption of a

two-phase qualitative approach, proved to be valuable in addressing the objectives of the

study. The use of the tourism planning evaluation instrument in the first phase facilitated

a detailed assessment of the planning practices of local tourism destinations in

Queensland as articulated through their respective tourism planning documents.

Undertaking in-depth, semi-structured interviews in the second phase of the study

complemented the secondary analysis of the planning documents as it provided insights

into the planning process from the perspective of the participants. Variations of this

approach have been used previously (Bahaire & Elliott-White, 1999; Getz & Jamal,

1994; Kaufman & Jacobs, 1993; Timothy, 1999) and the current study has proven the

value of a two-phase research method for studies of tourism destination planning. The

use of the tourism planning process evaluation instrument was a particularly useful

analysis tool and should be utilised in further studies.

324

Chapters Two, Three and Four provided a comprehensive overview of the literature

pertaining to sustainable tourism development, strategic planning and stakeholder

participation, and strategic visioning. In doing so, the study has drawn together and

synthesised quite diverse bodies of literature, and further conceptualised these theories

within the tourism literature. Sustainable tourism planning has unquestionably had a

large impact on tourism, and while a considerable amount has been written on the topic,

there is a recognised gap in the literature regarding sustainability practice. It has been

noted that too much attention has been given to definitional debates on the topic and this

has been at the expense of considering how the concept might actually be implemented in

practice (Faulkner, 2003; Garrod & Fyall, 1998; Trousdale, 1999). Simpson (2001)

further noted that the recognised aspects of sustainable planning, strategic planning and

stakeholder participation, have also not been examined to determine the extent to which

they are incorporated into tourism planning processes. As such, the contribution of this

study lies in addressing the acknowledged research gap in sustainability. It has been seen

that sustainable theory is not translated into practice, confirming that there is a gap and

highlighting some of the reasons for this in the context of local tourism destinations in

Queensland. While economic motivations were proven to be a factor, this study has

shown that the primary reason for the sustainability concept not being implemented in

practice is attributable to a lack of understanding on the part of destination planners,

namely the local government authority.

The issue of stakeholder power and influence arose in the study, particularly that of the

local government authority. In all cases investigated the local government was also the

driver of the planning process and as such responsible for the fact that sustainability

principles did not underpin the process. While studies have discussed the fact that

sustainability depends on the agendas of stakeholders, particularly the local government,

this study has added the notion that due to local governments considerable influence, the

adoption of sustainability principles is also linked to the concept of power. The study

therefore adds a further dimension to the sustainable tourism debate, that stakeholder

influence and power can be the determining factor in the adoption of a sustainable

approach to tourism planning. If one stakeholder group has undue influence over the

325

process, then the likelihood of sustainability underpinning the process could be

significantly reduced depending on their motivations and values. This is obviously an

area requiring further investigation (section 9.6).

A further contribution is the conceptual map of stakeholder influence in the local tourism

planning process (Figure 9.1). The assessment of stakeholder influence (Figure 8.1,

Chapter Eight) highlighted that there were two levels of influence which stakeholders

could be plotted against.

Figure 9.1: Stakeholder Circle of Influence

In all cases the local government had the most significant influence over the process and

as such is deemed to have a ‘core’ influence. Although not acknowledged as a key

stakeholder in the literature, this study has found that the tourism planning consultant had

a significant or core influence over the process. Therefore the consultant has been set

outside the stakeholder circle of influence map, but still linked to the core (Figure 9.1).

The community residents, however, who should have some level of influence over the

planning and would be expected to have at least a periphery influence, were omitted from

the cases investigated in this study. Therefore based on the results of this study residents

CORE

Local Council

PERIPHERY Tourism Industry

Tourist Associations LTA/RTO

INFLUENTIAL CORE

Consultants

ABSENT PERIPHERYCommunity

residents

326

have been termed the ‘absent periphery’ and set on the outer of the stakeholder circle of

influence (Figure 9.1).

A further contribution this study has made to the literature lies in the detailed discussion

and conceptualisation of strategic visioning in a tourism destination context. Strategic

visioning is a well-utilised approach in the private sector and community planning

contexts and the literature review provided a synthesis of this literature in the context of

strategic visioning for tourism destinations. While strategic visioning is beginning to be

referred to in the tourism literature, the potential of the approach has not been considered

in any detail with the exception of the work of Ritchie (1999; 1993) and Faulkner (2003).

However there has been little in the way of detailed accounts and evaluations of its

implementation and this study is the first to appraise stakeholders’ perceptions of the

strategic visioning process and its contribution to sustainable tourism planning. In light

of the literature review and perspectives of the destination stakeholders, a detailed

conceptual framework was proposed.

While there has been considerable research into the concept of sustainable tourism

planning, the development of practical frameworks, processes or models for destination

planners to utilise has tended to be overlooked (Berke, 2002; Saxena, 2005; Simpson,

2001). Therefore the most significant contribution of this study has been the

development of a strategic visioning framework, designed to address the key aspects of

sustainable tourism planning. It offers guidelines and underpinning principles for

planners to utilise in developing a sustainable planning methodology for their destination,

but is deliberately broad enough to allow for flexible interpretation to suit the variety of

local issues (Hall, 2000). The framework for strategic visioning offers one means of

move the sustainability concept forward and provides a platform for future research on

applicable practical approaches for sustainable tourism planning. Further the framework

adds a new dimension to the literature on tourism planning methodologies.

327

9.5 Contribution of the Study to Practice

While the study has made a number of contributions to theory, the research also has

contributions and implications for tourism planning practice. In the context of

Queensland there is now some evidence and understanding of the planning processes of

local tourism destination planning in Queensland. The interest from the Queensland

State Government and state tourism authority in the preliminary papers released from this

research confirm that this study has addressed a knowledge gap regarding local tourism

destinations and their tourism planning practices. This has highlighted that assumptions

cannot be made regarding the extent to which sustainable tourism planning is utilised at

the local level and point to a need for educational campaigns, monitoring or mentoring

systems, so that sustainability does begin to happen in practice- that the paradigm shift

does actually occur. Ideally the paradigm shift would develop organically however the

results of this study suggest that may be some way off. Therefore state government

seems the most appropriate to initiate action in this regard, particularly given the

seemingly blatant disregard for the state’s IPA guidelines for local government.

The proposed strategic visioning framework, while offering a platform for academic

debate, obviously has applications as a tool for practice. The framework offers broad

guidelines and principles for destination planners to utilise in the development of a

sustainable tourism planning methodology for their destination, and not solely at the local

level. Challenges of the planning process are acknowledged and specific strategies are

highlighted to deal with these issues- issues that can arise in all tourism destination

planning contexts despite the scale. A major benefit of the framework in terms of

practice is that it provides the means for overcoming the short-term horizons of current

planning, which as discussed is a threat to the long-term sustainability of tourism

destinations. Further, the development of a shared vision for the destination not only

provides focus for the strategic planning process but also provides a benchmark for

ensuring that a longer-term perspective informs day-to-day decisions. As Faulkner

(2003) noted, a vision statement alleviates the need for the destination to consider every

opportunity and challenge that arises from scratch. Stakeholder participation and

328

engagement is also a key focus of the framework and provides some alternative

approaches for destinations to utilise in tourism planning, considered necessary by

respondents in this study.

The tourism planning process evaluation instrument, originally developed by Simpson

(2001) and utilised in this study provides a useful tool for destination planners. As was

noted in Chapter Five, considerable effort was devoted to developing an instrument that

represented the various requirements of a sustainable approach to tourism planning. As

such the instrument has value for tourism destination planning practice and with

refinement could be utilised as a type of checklist for destinations progressing through

the strategic planning phase of the proposed framework.

9.6 Implications for Further Research

The study has been successful in providing some key insights into the planning practices

of local tourism destinations in Queensland and as such has made contributions to both

theory and practice. However this study, and the development of the conceptual

framework, has provided the foundations for a future research agenda both in an

Australian and international context.

Firstly, similar studies should be conducted to determine whether the lack of a sustainable

approach is unique to local tourism destinations in Queensland, or is a more widespread

problem. Such an analysis should not be limited to local tourism destinations in Australia

and an area for further research would be to investigate this issue internationally.

Stemming from this it would be equally useful to conduct similar examinations of state

and national tourism strategies, both in Australia and overseas, to determine the extent to

which the principles of sustainability are utilised in the various levels of tourism

planning. Such studies would complement exploratory research emerging in this area

internationally (Aronsson, 2000; Barke & Towner, 2003; Bianchi, 2004; MacLellan,

1998) and provide a clearer understanding of the ‘state of sustainability practice’, and

contribute to the consideration and development of new processes, frameworks and

329

models to address sustainable tourism planning for tourism destinations. A second area

for further research relates to the development of new models to undertake stakeholder

consultation and participation. If the calls to move towards collaboration in tourism

planning are to be achieved, appropriate methods must be developed. Adapting some of

the approaches that have been tested and refined in the field of community engagement

(Chapter Three) may be useful in terms of tourism destination planning.

As noted the proposed strategic visioning framework is conceptual and was not tested in

this research. Testing and refinement of the model is obviously an immediate area for

further research. There is also a need for more research into visioning programs that are

beginning to be undertaken in tourism, with evaluations of their successes and failures,

and longitudinal studies to measure their effect on the sustainable development of the

destination.

In the Queensland context the research highlighted some areas for further investigation.

The study highlighted some anomalies, which would be useful to further examine such as

why did the vast majority of local tourism destinations in Queensland not have a tourism

plan? Is it seen as unnecessary, do destinations not have the planning resources or

capabilities, or is tourism seen as a soft development option (Wahab & Pigram, 1997) and

one that does not require planning? Also interesting was that many of Queensland’s most

popular tourism destinations, such as Brisbane did not have a tourism plan (Chapter Six).

Does the Queensland situation contradict Dymond’s (1997) study that where the tourism

industry is considered important it is well looked after, or concur with Long (1994) that

established destinations were no more inclined towards tourism management than their

developing counterparts?

Following on from this, it is necessary to further investigate the role of local government

in local level tourism destination planning, and this has applications both nationally and

internationally. Do destination planners deliberately disregard sustainability and pursue

economic goals as has been suggested or is it actually due to a lack of understanding

regarding sustainability as was surmised by respondents in this study. A further issue

330

that was raised and a new concept in the discussion of sustainability is that of stakeholder

power. Research should be pursued in this area to further investigate the notion raised

from this study that stakeholder power and influence may have a direct contribution to

the achievement of sustainability. Similarly, the role of the consultant in the planning

and decision-making process should be further investigated. Although not a stakeholder

group that was included for investigation in the objectives of the study, the research

showed that consultants do have a high level of influence as depicted in Figure 9.1. Here

they are characterised as an ‘influential core’, despite the fact that they are not usually

considered to be key stakeholders in the tourism destination planning process.

A recurring theme in both the literature review and the results of this study is the need for

education and knowledge. For instance there is a lack of understanding regarding

sustainability and how to implement it in practice, destinations are not adopting a

strategic view to planning and therefore not heeding the lessons of unplanned

developments of the past, there is a lack of awareness regarding the need for, and benefits

of, engaging the resident community in destination planning and decision making. These

are all issues, which have been well discussed in the literature and in many instances have

been transferred to policy, particularly at the international and national levels. The

problem appears to be that the concepts and wealth of knowledge has not been diffused to

the destination level where it is actually needed by those that plan and manage tourism

activity. It is therefore recommended that future research in this area be conceptualised

in terms of knowledge management.

Knowledge management refers to the creation, dissemination and exploitation of

knowledge assets, with the ability to do so recognised as one of the key success factors

for both the public and private sectors in the future. Around the world, particularly in

developed countries, a shift is occurring from commodity-based economies towards

economies driven by knowledge development, innovation and commercialisation

(Ruhanen & Cooper, 2004). Tourism as one of the world’s largest industries and export

earners is not immune from such a paradigm shift and it will be at the public sector or

destination management level where knowledge management strategies and approaches

331

will be needed. This will require tourism policy makers to utilise the collective

knowledge assets of the destination, and the body of knowledge developed by researchers

and governments to ensure the sustained viability and success of the destination in the

global marketplace. As such research should be undertaken in this area to facilitate the

creation of a knowledge management culture at the tourism destination/public sector

level because tourism destinations with their current ad hoc practices will not be

sustainable in the new economy.

The learning organization concept is a complimentary approach to further conceptualise

the research agenda in this area and one suggested by Faulkner (2003) and discussed in

this study (Chapter Four). Considered to be the organizational management concept of

the future (Flood, 1999), the notion of the learning organization is based on the transition

from an individualist to a more collective orientation, within the framework of a more

structured, systematic and strategically focused approach (Faulkner, 2003; Senge et al,

1994). The collective sharing of knowledge through the development of shared visions

for the future and operating in team learning situations could be of valuable assistance in

overcoming the knowledge gaps in sustainable tourism planning. The tourism sector

could learn from such management approaches, which have been proven in

organizational planning and may have considerable applicability in terms of tourism

destination planning.

Given the nature of the tourism sector it is likely that the concepts of knowledge

management and learning organizations are some way off. Therefore on a more

immediate timeframe there is a need to diffuse the knowledge that resides within

universities, governments and similar organizations to those ‘on the ground level’ who

must actually decide what sustainable tourism means for their community. The research

agenda should look at transforming this knowledge into education programs, tools and

manuals and best practice exemplars to assist in overcoming some of the knowledge

barriers so that the principles of sustainability, strategic planning and stakeholder

participation can be achieved. If progress is not made in this area it seems possible that

stricter government mandates for planning may be forced upon destinations.

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9.7 Chapter Nine Summary

The tourism growth projections outlined in Chapter One highlight the need to properly

plan for sustained tourism growth and development. Yet this investigation has found that

for local tourism destinations in Queensland, this is certainly not the case. Further,

despite claims that more destinations are adopting sustainable, strategic perspectives

towards tourism development (Ritchie & Crouch, 2000), this was once again not the case

for local tourism destinations in Queensland.

Despite the logic of sustainable development and its recognised relationship to planning,

there is difficulty in incorporating the full range of its dimensions into local planning

policies and programs (Jepson, 2004). Some have attributed this to a preoccupation with

defining the concept and not considering how the sustainable paradigm is actually

applied in practice (Faulkner, 2003; Garrod & Fyall, 1998). As such it has been noted

that the time has come to move sustainability rhetoric into workable objectives and

standards (Bramwell & Lane, 1993; Goodall & Stabler, 1997). To address this, a

conceptual framework based on the strategic visioning approach was developed from this

research to assist in the transference of sustainable theory to local tourism destination

planning practice. The framework proposed in this study incorporates some core ideals

and guiding principles, which offer a platform for further research and development to

assist local tourism destinations engage in sustainable tourism planning. Such a

framework will ideally contribute to narrowing the theory-practice gap of sustainable

tourism planning and in turn contribute towards tourism destination planning approaches

underpinned by the principles of sustainable development.

333

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412

Appendices

Appendix 1 Queensland Regional Tourism Organisations (RTOs)

Appendix 2 Queensland Local Tourism Authorities (LTAs)

Appendix 3 United Nations Principles for Sustainable Tourism

Appendix 4 Community Visioning Programs

Appendix 5 The Gold Coast Tourism Destination Visioning Process

Appendix 6 Audit of Queensland Local Tourism Destination Planning Documents

Appendix 7 Stakeholder Interview Schedule

Appendix 8 Participant Information Sheet

Appendix 9 Participant Consent Form

Appendix 10 Local Government Area Profiles - Business Categories

Appendix 11 Tourism Planning Approach Evident in Planning Documents

Appendix 12 Overview of Local Tourism Planning Document Analysis

Appendix 13 Overview of Local Tourism Planning Documents Rationale, Objectives and

Vision Statement

Appendix 14 Queensland Local Government Area Profiles

Appendix 15 Principles and Goals of the Douglas Shire Tourism Strategy

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Appendix One: Queensland Regional Tourism Organisations (RTOs)

Source: Tourism Queensland, 2005

414

Appendix Two: Queensland Local Tourism Authorities (LTAs)

Brisbane Region LTAsBrisbane Valley Tourism Association Inc Caboolture Tourism Esk Visitor Information Centre Boonah Shire Tourism Inc. Ipswich Visitors and Tourism Association Ltd. Lockyer Valley Tourism and Development Association Moreton Bay Coast and Country Tourism Redcliffe Tourism Redlands Tourism Stradbroke Island Tourism Tourism Pine Rivers Wynnum Manly Tourism and Visitor Information Centre Wynnum Manly Regional Development Partnership Bundaberg Region LTAsBiggenden Chamber of Tourism and Development Inc. Gayndah Development Association Gin Gin District Business and Tourism Council Perry Shire Heritage and Tourist Association Inc. Monto Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Mundubbera Enterprise Association Inc. Capricorn Region LTAsBiloela Promotion Bureau Capricorn Coast Tourist Organisation Central Highlands Tourist Organisation Mt Morgan Tourist Association Rockhampton Tourist and Business Information Theodore Tourist Information Fraser Coast South Burnett Region LTAsHervey Bay Tourism Bureau Ltd. Maryborough and Fraser Island Visitor Information Centre South Burnett Tourism Association Inc. Gold Coast Region LTAsBeaudesert Tourism Canungra Information and Historical Association Tamborine Mountain Natural History Assicuation inc. Tweed Coolangatta Tourism Inc. Mackay Region LTAsClermont Tourism Association

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Pioneer Valley Tourism and Development Association Sarina Tourist Art and Craft Centre Outback Region LTAsBarcaldine Tourist Association Blackall Tourist and Development Association Cloncurry Chamber of Commerce Inc. Cosmos Country Tourism Cunnamulla Visitor Information Centre Historic Woolscour Association Ilfracombe Historical Association Mount Isa Tourism Association Longreach Visitor Information Centre Vision Winton Incorporated Southern Downs Region LTAsAllora Action Association Clifton and District Progress Association Dalveen Sports Club Granite Belt Tourist Association Killarney Area Promotions Association Leyburn Progress Association Texas Visitors Association Inc. Warwick and District Tourist Association Inc. Sunshine Coast Region LTAs Blackall Range Tourism Association Inc. Caloundra Tourism Cooloola Regional Development Bureau Inc. Maroochy Tourism Mooloolaba Tourism Tourism Noosa Toowoomba and Golden West Region LTAsChinchilla Economic and Tourist Development Association Inc. Crows Nest and District Tourist and Progress Association Goondiwindi District Promotions Inc. Injune and District Tourism Association Leichhardt Highway Promotion Committee Miles Tourism Committee Millmerran Shire Tourism and Progress Association Inc. Roma Tourism Association St George Tourist and Museum Association Surat and District Development Association Shire of Tara Development Association Inc. Taroom District Development Association

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Townsville Region LTAsBurdekin Tourism Association Inc. Cardwell Chamber of Commerce Charters Towers and Dalrymple Tourism Association Hinchinbrook Tourism Association Magnetic Island Community and Development Association Tropical North Region LTAsCairns Tourism Association Inc. Cassowary Coast Development Bureau trading as Innisfail Information Centre Chillagoe Alliance Cooktown Tourism Association Daintree Village Tourism Association Gulf Savannah Development Karumba Progress Association Kuranda Village Promotion Program Mission Beach Tourism Inc. Tourism Palm Cove Port Douglas Daintree Tourism Association Trinity Beach Promotion Association Tropical Tableland Tourism Yorkeys Knob Promotional Group Cape York Peninsula Development Association Inc. Whitsunday Region LTAsBowen Tourism Collinsville District Development Bureau

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Appendix Three: United Nations Principles for Sustainable Tourism

1. Residents of a community must maintain control of tourism development by being involved in setting a community tourism vision, identifying the resources to be maintained and enhanced, and developing goals and strategies for tourism development and management. Equally important, community residents must participate in the implementation of strategies as well as the operation of the tourism infrastructure, services, and facilities.

2. A tourism initiative should be developed with the help of broad based stakeholder input.

3. Tourism development must provide quality employment. The provision of fulfilling jobs has to be seen as an integral part of any tourism development. Part of the process of achieving quality employment is to ensure that, as much as possible, the tourism infrastructure (hotels, restaurants, shops, etc.) is developed and managed by local people. Experience has demonstrated that the provision of education and training for local residents and access to financing for local businesses and entrepreneurs are central to this type of policy.

4. Broad-based distribution of the benefits of tourism must occur at the tourism destination. Local linkages and resident participation in the planning, development, and operation of tourism resources and services will help to ensure that a more equitable distribution of benefits will occur among residents, visitors, and other service providers.

5. Sustainable tourism development has to provide for intergenerational equity. Equitable distribution of the costs and benefits of tourism development must take place among present and future generations. To be fair to future generations of tourists and the travel industry, society should strive to leave a resource base no less than the one we have inherited. Sustainable tourism development must, therefore, avoid resource allocation actions that are irreversible.

6. A long-term planning horizon needs to be adopted by businesses and destination tourism organizations to ensure that destinations are not used for short-term gain and then abandoned as visitor tastes and business interests move elsewhere. A longer-term horizon encourages the use of proactive strategies to ensure destination sustainability and the establishment of local linkages over time.

7. Harmony is required between the needs of a visitor, the place, and the community. This is facilitated by broad stakeholder support with a proper balance between economic, social, cultural, and human objectives, and recognition of the importance of cooperation among government, the host communities, and the tourism industry, and the non-profit organizations involved in community development and environmental protection.

8. Tourism strategies and plans must be linked with a broader set of initiatives and economic development plans.

9. A need exists for more coordination at both policy and action levels among the various agencies involved and among different levels of government. This is particularly relevant to tourism and environmental policies. Service provisions such as transportation, parking, and water and sewer capacities must also be considered in conjunction with tourism plans and developments.

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10. Cooperation among attractions, businesses, and tourism operators is essential given that one business or operation can be directly affected by the performance or quality of another.

11. There is a definite need for impact assessment of tourism development proposals. The capacity of sites must be considered, including physical, natural, social, and cultural limits and development should be compatible with local and environmental limits. Plans and operations should be evaluated regularly with adjustments as required.

12. Guidelines have to be established for tourism operations, including requirements for impact assessment. There should be codes of practice established for tourism at all levels - national, regional and local. There is also a need to develop indicators and threshold limits for measuring the impacts and success of local tourism ventures. Protection and monitoring strategies are essential if communities are to protect the resources that form the basis of their tourism product.

13. Tourism planning must move away from a traditional growth-oriented model to one that focuses on opportunities for employment, income and improved local well-being while ensuring that development decisions reflect the full value of the natural and cultural environments. The management and use of public goods such as water, air, and common lands should include accountability on behalf of the users to ensure that these resources are not abused.

14. Sustainable tourism development requires the establishment of education and training programs to improve public. Understanding and enhance business, vocational and professional skills.

15. Sustainable tourism development involves promoting appropriate uses and activities that draw from and reinforce landscape character, sense of place, community identity and site opportunity. These activities and uses should aim to provide a quality tourism experience that satisfies visitors while adhering to the other principles of sustainable tourism.

16. The scale and type of tourism facilities must reflect the limits of acceptable use that resources can tolerate. Small-scale, low impact facilities and services should be encouraged, for example, through financing and other incentives.

17. The tourism process must also ensure that heritage and natural resources are maintained and enhanced using internationally acceptable criteria and standards.

18. Sustainable tourism marketing should include the provision of a high quality tourist experience which adheres to the other principles outlined above, and whose promotion should be a responsible and an ethical reflection of the destination's tourism attractions and services.

Source: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, 1999

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Appendix Four: Community Visioning Programs Location Participants Initiatives Methods

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

•Collaborative committee •Action planning teams •Over 1000 citizens

•Environment •Economic development •Education •Governance •Health •Housing •Human services •Public safety •Transportation

• Facilitated monthly meetings

• Public meetings • Stakeholder surveys • Secondary data analysis

Minot and Ward County, USA

•1000 citizens •Business, civic,

government, education and church organisations

•Education •Quality of life •Economic development •Community leadership •Infrastructure •Government

-

Mequon City, USA

•All citizens invited to contribute

•Citizen committee •Consultant

•Population •Residential areas •Rural landscape •Roads •Development/ land use •City services •Schools •Parks and open space •City centre

• Community forums • Focus groups • Community survey • Secondary data analysis

Central Alabama region, USA

•5000 citizens •Regional cooperation •Natural environment •Economically

competitive •Public transportation •Social equity/ education/

housing •Citizen involvement

• Public meetings

Downtown Wilkes- Barre, USA

•Business, industry and development organizations

•Representatives from government, business, institutional and residents

•500 resident participants

•Market driven development plans •Business improvement

district •New business

development and promotion •Higher education and

downtown taskforce •Downtown residents

association •Preserve and protect

historic resources

• Public meetings • Participant

brainstorming

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Johnson County, USA

•Steering committee

•Education •Public safety •Land use •Transportation and

infrastructure •Economic development •Natural resources and

environment •Human services •Culture, arts and

humanities •County relationships •Financing and taxation

• Exploration of issues • Issue analysis model • Citizen survey • Community forums

City of Royal Oak, USA

•200 residents •Steering committee

•Neighbourhood preservation •Downtown improvements •Commercial corridor

improvements •Community facilities •Transportation

• Town meetings • Concept plan workshops

City of Tucson, USA

•1200 community members

•Business people and city employees

• Interdepartmental team

- • Public forums • Forums targeting youth,

businesses • Internet site • Bulletin boards • Workshops to develop

indicators of progress towards the vision’s goals

Baltimore region, USA

•Community residents

- • Monthly meetings of stakeholder committees

• Regional vision meetings for residents

• Telephone survey of 1200 residents

• Regional workshop to finalise vision

City of Vancouver, Canada

•Residents, property owners, workers, business owners and community organisations

•Liaison groups

•Create and strengthen neighbourhood centres and character

•Housing needs •Community services •Prevent crime •Art and cultural activity •Open spaces and public

places •Neighbourhood

employment

• Public awareness campaigns

• Communication strategy • Generate interest at a

community event • Workshops

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•Environment •Engage residents

Brisbane, Australia

•Government •Businesses • Industry •Schools •Community groups • Individual residents

•Environment •Transport and access •Suburban landscape

design •Knowledge infrastructure •Creative culture, arts,

business, government, society

•Community enhancement •Sports and leisure

facilities •Develop and expand

local industry

• Draft documents opened for comment

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Appendix Five: The Gold Coast Tourism Destination Visioning Process

Source: Faulkner, 2003

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Appendix Six: Audit of Queensland Local Tourism Destination Planning Documents

Shire Council Area Title of Plan Aramac No tourism plan Atherton Atherton Tablelands Strategic Development Plan Aurukun No tourism plan Balonne No tourism plan Banana Banana Shire Tourism Development Plan Barcaldine No tourism plan Bauhinia No tourism plan Barcoo No tourism plan Beaudesert Tourism plan currently been developed Belyando Tourism plan currently been developed Bendemere No tourism plan Biggenden No tourism plan Blackall Tourism & Economic Vitalisation Strategy 2003 Boonah Tourism plan currently been developed Booringa Tourism plan currently been developed Boulia No tourism plan Bowen Tourism Development Action Plan Brisbane Tourism plan currently been developed Broadsound No tourism plan Bulloo No tourism plan Bundaberg No tourism plan Bungil No tourism plan Burdekin Burdekin Shire Tourism Action Plan- 1999 Burke No tourism plan Burnett No tourism plan Caboolture No tourism plan Cairns No tourism plan Calliope No tourism plan Caloundra Caloundra Tourism Plan 2002-2012

Caloundra Tourism Action Plan 2002-2005 Cambooya No tourism plan Cardwell Cardwell Shire Tourism Plan 2002-2006 Carpentaria No tourism plan Charters Towers No tourism plan Chinchilla Chinchilla Shire Council’s Tourism Plan 2002-2010 Clifton No tourism plan Cloncurry No tourism plan Cook No tourism plan Cooloola No tourism plan Crow’s Nest Crow’s Nest Tourism Development Action Plan Croydon Tourism plan currently been developed Dalby No tourism plan

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Dalrymple No tourism plan Diamantina No tourism plan Douglas Douglas Shire Tourism Strategy 1998 Duaringa No tourism plan Eacham No tourism plan Eidsvold No tourism plan Emerald Tourism plan currently been developed Esk No tourism plan Etheridge No tourism plan Fitzroy No tourism plan Flinders Tourism plan currently been developed Gatton Gatton Tourism Strategy- 1996/1997 Gayndah No tourism plan Gladstone No tourism plan Gold Coast Our Gold Coast- The Preferred Tourism Future- 2002

Gold Coast City Council’s Tourism Strategy- 2003 Goondiwindi No tourism plan Herberton No tourism plan Hervey Bay No tourism plan Hinchinbrook Hinchinbrook Shire Tourism Development Strategy-

1993 Ilfracombe No tourism plan Inglewood No tourism plan Ipswich Ipswich City Tourism Strategy 1997-2002 Isisford No tourism plan Isis No tourism plan Jericho No tourism plan Johnstone No tourism plan Jondaryan No tourism plan Kilcoy Kilcoy Shire Tourism Management Plan 2001-2004 Kilkivan No tourism plan Kingaroy No tourism plan Kolan No tourism plan Laidley Laidley Shire Tourism Strategy- 1997 Livingstone No tourism plan Logan Tourism plan currently been developed Longreach No tourism plan Mackay No tourism plan Mareeba Tourism Development Strategy- 2002 Maroochy Tourism Development Strategy- 2000 Maryborough No tourism plan McKinlay No tourism plan Millmerran No tourism plan Mirani Pioneer Valley Tourism Strategy 1994 Miraim Vale No tourism plan

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Monto No tourism plan Mornington No tourism plan Mount Isa Mount Isa Tourism Masterplan Mount Morgan No tourism plan Mundubbera No tourism plan Murgon No tourism plan Murilla Murilla Shire Tourism Action Plan Murweh Tourism plan currently been developed Nanango Nanango Shire Tourism Development Action Plan Nebo No tourism plan Noosa Noosa Tourism Plan 2001-2011

Noosa Tourism Action Plan 2001-2004 Paroo No tourism plan Peak Downs Tourism plan currently been developed Perry No tourism plan Pine Rivers Pine Rivers Tourism Strategy Pittsworth Pittsworth Shire Council Local Tourism Strategy-2003 Quilpie No tourism plan Redcliffe Redcliffe Tourism Development Strategy Redland Redland Shire Sustainable Tourism Development

Strategy- 2003 North Stradbroke Island Sustainable Tourism Vision

Richmond No tourism plan Rockhampton Tourism plan currently been developed Roma Tourism Action Plan- 2000 Rosalie No tourism plan Sarina Sarina Shire Tourism Strategy Stanthorpe No tourism plan Tambo No tourism plan Tara No tourism plan Taroom No tourism plan Thuringowa Thuringowa Tourism and Event Strategy Tiaro No tourism plan Toowoomba Tourism plan currently been developed Torres No tourism plan Townsville No tourism plan Waggamba No tourism plan Wambo No tourism plan Warroo Tourism plan currently been developed Warwick No tourism plan Whitsunday No tourism plan Winton No tourism plan Wondai No tourism plan Woocoo No tourism plan

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Appendix Seven: Stakeholder Interview Schedule Stakeholder Participation

• What was your role in the tourism plan? • How did you come to be involved in the planning process?

o Participation ongoing or a one-off role? At what stage? • What were your reasons for participating in the tourism planning process?

o What level of influence do you feel that you had in the final strategic direction selected/ the final planning outcomes?

o By participating in the planning process do you feel a sense of ownership/ responsibility for the plan?

Some questions about other stakeholder groups who participated in the process.

• How did the different stakeholders work together to plan for tourism? o How successful/ unsuccessful was this in your opinion? For what reasons? o Do you think having a variety of stakeholders participating in the process

enhanced the tourism planning process? Why? Why not? o Do you think it resulted in a more accepted tourism plan for the

destination? Why? Why not? • What were the motivations for incorporating a range of stakeholders in the

tourism planning process? o Do you feel that the various stakeholders will abide by the vision and

directions set out in the plan? Why? Why Not? o Do you think stakeholder groups who were not involved in the process

would feel any attachment to/ follow the plan? Why? Why not? • Who would you consider was the champion or leader of the planning process?

o Was it one person/ group? o Was their level of control/ power/ influence disproportionate to other

stakeholder groups? o In your view are they the best equipped to handle tourism planning? Why?

Why not? Some questions about your views of stakeholder participation in tourism planning?

• What are your thoughts on local residents being able to influence and participate in planning and decision making for tourism development?

o Do you feel that they would be happier with tourism activity and development decisions if they are involved?

o Does this matter? o Should this be a consultation, participation or collaboration role? o Do you think it will lead to a better quality of decision making/ broader

scope of issues? • Do you see any barriers to broad local participation?

o If so, do you think these can be overcome? How? • Should any one individual/group be responsible for tourism planning? Why? Why

not?

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• In your opinion is the optimum tourism planning process one which is highly structured with one person in control or a more flexible process which is facilitated? Why is that?

Tourism planning process and SustainabilityI would like to discuss with you your opinions and thoughts of the tourism plan and the concept of sustainable development:

• Do you believe the objectives and outcomes of the plan meet the current and/ or future needs of the area?

• How successful do you think the plan will be in providing a framework for tourism development for the destination?

o Should it retain the same format or be changed? o Do you consider your tourism plan as a strategic plan?

• What do you see as the benefits of having a long term planning process for tourism development?

• Do you see a local tourism plan as being more relevant for managing tourism development than a regional plan?

I also have some questions regarding the concept of sustainable tourism development?

• What are your views on the concept of sustainable tourism development? (Definition if needed- The primary objective of sustainable development is the provision of lasting and secure livelihoods which minimise resource depletion, environmental degradation, cultural disruption and social instability).

• Do you think the concept of sustainability is realistic/ practical in a ‘real world situation’ or is it just a theoretical concept?

• Do you believe that your destination has a sustainable approach to tourism development, planning and management?

• Do you think that there are any aspects that make/ or prohibit your destination from having a sustainable tourism industry (i.e. the type of tourism product)?

Strategic VisioningFinally I would like to get your views on the concept of strategic visioning. Show definition card.

• Are you aware of the concept of a strategic visioning process for tourism destination planning? (definition/ Gold Coast)

• Do you think a strategic visioning process would improve stakeholder participation and collaboration in tourism planning and decision making?

o Would it be a better way of achieving consensus amongst stakeholder groups on future directions for the destination?

o Will it provide a benchmark towards which both the general community and the tourism sector can more effectively direct their efforts?

• Do you think strategic visioning would contribute towards achieving a more strategic approach to tourism planning?

• Do you think a strategic visioning process would enhance the incorporation of sustainable development principles into the tourism planning process?

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• Do you think a strategic visioning process would be of benefit to local tourism destinations?

• Do you think your destination would benefit from such a process? Other Questions

• How many years have you lived in the Shire? • Is your work or profession connected with the tourism industry in any way? • Finally are there any points I have not raised about tourism in your Shire that you

would like to mention? Contacts

• Other groups/ organisations/ individuals were involved in the tourism planning process?

o Contact Details:

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Appendix Eight: Participant Information Sheet

TITLE: Sustainable Tourism Planning: An Analysis of Queensland Local Tourism Destination Planning

INVESTIGATOR: Lisa Ruhanen, PhD Candidate in the School of Tourism and Leisure Management, The University of Queensland

The aim of this research is to investigate the nature of tourism planning within local tourism destinations, particularly in terms of strategic planning, stakeholder collaboration and sustainable development. To do this, I would like to get your views on these issues, as a stakeholder in the tourism planning process for your destination. This will be achieved by interviewing you at a location and time of convenience to you, and this interview will be tape recorded. This interview will last approximately thirty (30) minutes. A transcription of the interview will be distributed to you for you to read through to ensure it is an accurate recording of our interview. Opportunity will exist for you to get in contact with the researcher to discuss any necessary changes. No controversial information is being sought by the research, however you will have the opportunity to withdraw from the research at any time should you wish to do so. Your privacy while participating in the study will be maintained at all times and your name will not be identified in any way. Files and interview transcripts will be kept in a locked filing cabinet in the School of Tourism and Leisure Management at the University of Queensland. This study has been cleared by one of the human ethics committees of the University of Queensland in accordance with the University’s ethical guidelines. Whilst you are free to discuss your participation in this study with the researcher (Lisa Ruhanen on 3381 1338 or 0423 784 370) if you would rather speak to an officer of the University not involved in the study, you may contact the Chair of the Ethical Review Committee, School of Tourism and Leisure Management through the Secretary on (07) 3381 1010.

Thank you for your interest in this research project.

Lisa Ruhanen (Researcher) Professor Chris Cooper and Dr Lee-Jaye Slaughter (Supervisors)

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Appendix Nine: Participant Consent Form

CONSENT FORM

I, __________________________________________, hereby consent to take part in the study titled “Sustainable Tourism Planning: An Analysis of Queensland

Local Tourism Destination Planning”, being conducted by Lisa Ruhanen of the School of Tourism and Leisure Management at the University of Queensland.

I understand that: (a) My participation is on the basis of anonymity and my identity will not be disclosed in any way within the thesis or subsequent publications. (b) I have the right to withdraw from the study at any time, and this will trigger destruction of any tapes or other forms of communication by the researcher. (c) Provision of contact details below is voluntary and confidential, and is intended only to make it easier for the researcher to contact me to clarify any interview materials.

Signed: ____________________________________ Date:______________________

CONTACT DETAILS Giving the details below is purely voluntary. The aim is simply to make it possible to follow up on any questions that may arise from your interview.

Postal address:___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ _________________________________ P/Code:___________ Contact phone number: ( ) _______________________________ Email address: ___________________________________________________

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Appendix Ten: Local Government Area Profiles - Business Categories

Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing

Mining

Manufacturing

Electricity, Gas and Water Supply

Construction

Wholesale Trade

Retail Trade

Accommodation, Cafes and Restaurants

Transport and Storage

Communication Services

Finance and Insurance

Property and Business Services

Government Administration and Defence

Education

Health and Community Services

Cultural and Recreational Services

Personal and Other Services

Source: Office of Economic and Statistical Research, 2005

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Appendix 11: Tourism Planning Approach Evident in Planning Documents

Economic Physical Environmental Community Sustainable Plan 1 � � - - �Plan 2 � � - - -Plan 3 � � - - �Plan 4 � - - - -Plan 5 � � � - �Plan 6 � � � � �Plan 7 � � � � �Plan 8 � � - � -Plan 9 � - - - -Plan 10 - � - - �Plan 11 � � - - -Plan 12 - - - � �Plan 13 � � - � -Plan 14 � - - - -Plan 15 � � - - �Plan 16 � � - - -Plan 17 � � � - -Plan 18 � � - - -Plan 19 � � - - �Plan 20 � � - � -Plan 21 � � - - �Plan 22 � � - - -Plan 23 � � - � �Plan 24 � � - - -Plan 25 � � - - -Plan 26 � � � - �Plan 27 � � � � �Plan 28 � � - - -Plan 29 � � � � �Plan 30 � � - - �

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Appendix 12: Overview of Local Tourism Planning Document Analysis Documents 1-15 Evaluative Criteria Evidence of Evaluative Criteria

Planning Document 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Physical/ Environmental/ Economic Situation Analysis The planning document describes the area’s principal geographic features

N S N S S N S E N E E S S N N

The planning document describes the main characteristics of the local climate

N N N N S N N N N N N N N E N

The planning document identifies flora and fauna which are unique to the area

N N N N S N N E N N N N N N N

The planning document assesses the resilience and/or fragility of the physical environment

N N N N S N E N N S N E N N N

The planning document identifies current population levels and demographics

N E E N N N N E N S E E N N N

The planning document identifies current land use and ownership patterns in the area

N N N N N N N E N E N E N N N

The planning document identifies the major economic activities in the local area

N S E N E N N E N E E E N N E

The planning document establishes the relative importance of tourism, compared with other industries, to the economic development of the local area

N E S N E E E S N E N S N N E

The planning document quantifies the economic benefit of tourism to the area

N E N N E N N N N E N E N N E

The planning document quantifies the employment creation ability of local tourism activity

N E N N E N N N N S N E N N N

The planning document describes the principal tourism sites in the area

N E N N S N N E N E E E E N E

The planning document evaluates the current capacity of tourism plant and infrastructure

N S S N E N N E N S N N N N N

The planning document evaluates the adequacy of business skills possessed by local tourism industry operators

N N E N E N N N N N N N N N N

The planning document includes quantitative analysis of current

N E E N E N N E N E E E S S N

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visitor numbers, length of stay and spending The planning document acknowledges the need to integrate local tourism strategies with other local, regional, state and national plans for tourism development

N S N N N N S N N E N E N S N

Strategic Indicators of Destination Planning The time dimension of the planning process reflects a long term orientation

N E N E S E S S N N E N S E E

The planning document includes broadly based goals related to the nature and scale of future tourism development

N E N N N N N E N E N N N N N

The planning document identifies broadly based goals related to the economic benefits of future tourism development

N N N N N N N N N E N N N N N

The planning document includes broadly based goals related to environmental protection

N E N N N S N N N E N E N E N

The planning document includes broadly based goals related to community values and lifestyle protection

N N N N N N N E N E N N N E N

The planning document includes broadly based goals which emphasize the local benefits of tourism development

N N N N N E E N N E N N N N N

The planning document identifies a range of alternative strategies by which broadly based goals may be achieved

N N N N N E E N N N E E N E N

The planning document evaluates each strategy option prior to determining a range of specific objectives

N E N N N N N N N N N E N S N

Specific objectives support previously established broad goals

N N N N N S S N N E N E N S N

Specific objectives selected are based on supply capability as opposed to market demand

N S E N E N N E N E S S E N S

Specific objectives target the equitable distribution of tourism’s economic benefits throughout the local area

N N N N N N N N N S N E N N N

Specific objectives for future tourism activity are quantified and readily measurable

N E N N E N N E N N N S N N E

Stakeholder Participation/ Influence in the Planning Process The planning document addresses the relationships

S E S N E E E E E E S E N E E

435

between destination stakeholders Relevant state/federal government agencies took part in the planning process

N N N N N N S N N N N E N N E

Relevant local agencies took part in the planning process

N N N N N S S N N E S E S S E

Governmental opinions (federal, state, or local) influenced the final strategic direction selected

N N N N N S S N N S S S S S S

The relevant regional tourism organization took part in the planning process

N N N N E N S N N N N E S N E

The relevant local tourism authority took part in the planning process

N N N N N S S N N E N E S N E

Regional tourism organization or local tourism authority opinion influenced the final strategic direction selected.

N N N N S S S N N S N S S N S

The local tourism industry took part in the planning process

N N N N E N S S N E S E S S E

Local tourism industry opinion influenced the final strategic direction selected

N N N N S N S S N S S S S S S

Other local non-tourism organizations took part in the planning process

N N N N N N N N N N N E S S E

Other local non-tourism organization opinion influenced the final strategic direction selected

N N N N N N N N N N N S S S S

Ordinary local residents took part in the planning process

N N N N N N S E N E N E S N E

Ordinary local resident opinion influenced the final strategic direction selected

N N N N N N S S N S N S S N S

Destination Community Vision and Values The planning document identifies locally important community values

N N N E N N N S N E N N N N N

The planning document identifies locally important lifestyle features

N N N N N N N S N E N N N N N

The planning document identifies current issues which are critical to residents

N N N N N N N S N S N N N N N

The planning document assesses community attitudes to tourism

N N N N N N N S N S N S N N N

The planning document assesses the overall quality of life in the area

N N N N N N N S N S N N N N N

The planning document includes a vision for the future which aligns with local community values, attitudes and lifestyles

N N N N N N N S N S N E N N N

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Tourism Planning Approach The planning document predominantly emphasizes economic development and growth

E E E E E E E E E N E N E E E

The planning document predominantly emphasizes the physical resources of the destination

E E E N E E E E N E E N E N E

The planning document predominantly addresses the impacts of tourism on the natural environment

N N N N E E E N N N N N N N N

The planning document predominantly addresses how tourism can benefit the local community

N N N N N E E E N N N N E N N

The planning document predominantly addresses tourism in the context of sustainable development

E N E N E E E N N E N E N N E

Documents 16-30 Evaluative Criteria Evidence of Evaluative Criteria

Planning Document 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Physical/ Environmental/ Economic Situation Analysis The planning document describes the area’s principal geographic features

E N E E N N S N S N E E N E S

The planning document describes the main characteristics of the local climate

N N E E N N N N N N N E N E N

The planning document identifies flora and fauna which are unique to the area

N N N N N N N N N N N E N N S

The planning document assesses the resilience and/or fragility of the physical environment

N N N S N N N N N N N E N N S

The planning document identifies current population levels and demographics

N N S E N N N N N N N E N E E

The planning document identifies current land use and ownership patterns in the area

N N E E N N N N N N N N N S N

The planning document identifies the major economic activities in the local area

E N E E N N E E N N N E N E N

The planning document establishes the relative importance of tourism, compared with other industries, to the economic development of the local area

E N S E N N S S N N S N N E N

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The planning document quantifies the economic benefit of tourism to the area

N N N E N N N N N N N N N E N

The planning document quantifies the employment creation ability of local tourism activity

N N E E N N N N N N N N N E N

The planning document describes the principal tourism sites in the area

E N E E S N E N N N E E N E E

The planning document evaluates the current capacity of tourism plant and infrastructure

N N N E N N N N N N N E N S E

The planning document evaluates the adequacy of business skills possessed by local tourism industry operators

N N S S N N S N N N N N N E N

The planning document includes quantitative analysis of current visitor numbers, length of stay and spending

E N E E N N N S E N S E N E E

The planning document acknowledges the need to integrate local tourism strategies with other local, regional, state and national plans for tourism development

N N N N N N S N N N S E N E E

Strategic Indicators of Destination Planning The time dimension of the planning process reflects a long term orientation

E N E N E S E E N E E E S E E

The planning document includes broadly based goals related to the nature and scale of future tourism development

N N N S S N N S N N N S N S N

The planning document identifies broadly based goals related to the economic benefits of future tourism development

N N N N N N N N N N E E N E N

The planning document includes broadly based goals related to environmental protection

N N S E N N N E N N N E N E E

The planning document includes broadly based goals related to community values and lifestyle protection

N N E N N N N N N N E E N E E

The planning document includes broadly based goals which emphasize the local benefits of tourism development

N N N N N N N E N N N N N E N

The planning document identifies a range of alternative strategies by which broadly based goals may be achieved

N N E N E N E E E N E E E E E

The planning document N N N N N N N E N N N E N E S

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evaluates each strategy option prior to determining a range of specific objectives Specific objectives support previously established broad goals

N N N N N N N S N N S S N S S

Specific objectives selected are based on supply capability as opposed to market demand

S N S S N N S S N N S S N E S

Specific objectives target the equitable distribution of tourism’s economic benefits throughout the local area

N N S N S N N E N N E E N N E

Specific objectives for future tourism activity are quantified and readily measurable

N N S N E N N E N N E S N E E

Stakeholder Participation/ Influence in the Planning Process The planning document addresses the relationships between destination stakeholders

N E E E E E E E N S E E S E N

Relevant state/federal government agencies took part in the planning process

N N E N S N N S N N N E N N E

Relevant local agencies took part in the planning process

N N E S S N S S N N N E N S E

Governmental opinions (federal, state, or local) influenced the final strategic direction selected

N N S S S N S S N N N S N S S

The relevant regional tourism organization took part in the planning process

N N E N S N N S N N N E N N E

The relevant local tourism authority took part in the planning process

N N E S S N N S N N N E N N E

Regional tourism organization or local tourism authority opinion influenced the final strategic direction selected.

N N S S S N N S N N N S N N S

The local tourism industry took part in the planning process

S N E S S N S S N N N E N S E

Local tourism industry opinion influenced the final strategic direction selected

S N S S S N S S N N N S N S S

Other local non-tourism organizations took part in the planning process

N N N N S N S N N N N E N E E

Other local non-tourism organization opinion influenced the final strategic direction selected

N N N N S N S N N N N S N S S

Ordinary local residents took part in the planning process

N N E S N N S N N N N S N E E

Ordinary local resident opinion influenced the final strategic direction selected

N N S S N N S N N N N S N S S

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Destination Community Vision and Values The planning document identifies locally important community values

N N N S N N N N N N E S N N N

The planning document identifies locally important lifestyle features

N N N N S N N N N N E S N S N

The planning document identifies current issues which are critical to residents

N N S S N N N N N N E S N E N

The planning document assesses community attitudes to tourism

N N N S N N N N N N E S N E N

The planning document assesses the overall quality of life in the area

N N N N N N N N N N N S N N N

The planning document includes a vision for the future which aligns with local community values, attitudes and lifestyles

N N N N N N N S N N S S N S N

Tourism Planning Approach The planning document predominantly emphasizes economic development and growth

E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E

The planning document predominantly emphasizes the physical resources of the destination

E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E

he planning document edominantly addresses the impacts

f tourism on the natural nvironment

N E N N N N N N N N N E N E N

The planning document predominantly addresses how tourism can benefit the local community

N N N N E N N E N N E E N E N

The planning document predominantly addresses tourism in the context of sustainable development

N N N E N E N E N N E E N E E

Key 1. Atherton Tablelands Strategic Development Plan 2. Banana Shire Tourism Development Plan 3. Blackall Tourism and Economic Vitalisation Strategy 4. Bowen Tourism Development Action Plan 5. Burdekin Shire Tourism Action Plan 6. Caloundra Tourism Plan and Action Plan 7. Cardwell Shire Tourism Plan 8. Chinchilla Shire Council’s Tourism Plan 9. Crow’s Nest Tourism Development Action Plan 10. Douglas Shire Tourism Strategy

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11. Gatton Tourism Strategy 12. Gold Coast Tourism Strategy 13. Hinchinbrook Shire Tourism Development Strategy 14. Ipswich City Tourism Strategy 15. Kilcoy Shire Tourism Management Plan 16. Laidley Shire Tourism Strategy 17. Mareeba Tourism Development Strategy 18. Maroochy Tourism Development Strategy 19. Mirani Pioneer Valley Tourism Strategy 20. Mount Isa Tourism Masterplan 21. Murilla Shire Tourism Action Plan 22. Nanango Shire Tourism Development Action Plan 23. Noosa Shire Tourism Plan and Action Plan 24. Pine Rivers Tourism Strategy 25. Pittsworth Shire Council Local Tourism Strategy 26. Redcliffe Tourism Development Strategy 27. Redland Shire Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy 28. Roma Tourism Action Plan 29. Sarina Shire Tourism Strategy 30. Thuringowa Tourism and Event Strategy

E. Evident S. Somewhat Evident N. Not Evident

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Appendix 13: Overview of Local Tourism Planning Documents Rationale,

Objectives and Vision Statement

Atherton Tablelands Strategic Development Plan Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

An expert panel was selected to consider the best options for development of the tropical Tablelands and to develop a tourism strategic development plan. The focus of this review and subsequent investment decisions it may lead to: attract new tourism segments to the region; increase penetration to the region from existing TNQ tourism arrivals; and increase length and value of stay to the Tablelands.

Document Objectives

To identify key issues and objectives for tourism, as well as a set of strategic outcomes and recommendations.

Vision Statement

Not stated

Banana Shire Tourism Development Plan Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

There are a variety of organisations involved in developing and marketing tourism in Banana Shire. Each of these organisations is pursuing various activities to promote or develop tourism in the Shire, often in an ad hoc manner and sometimes without having specific objectives or a focus on the customer (visitors). As a consequence, council commissioned the tourism development plan to recommend how to unite, coordinate and better utilise existing community, business and council resources to develop a sustainable local tourism industry. It will also be used as a map of the way forward for the development and marketing of tourism in the Shire.

Document Objectives

An assessment of the Shire's existing local tourism industry and product; identification of tourism development opportunities, giving consideration to existing strengths and weaknesses, industry trends and forecasts; and recommendations on the way forward, including prioritising of projects/programs, and production of action plans and cost estimates for projects/programs

Vision Statement

Bringing together the comments and needs expressed by stakeholders in the Shire, the following vision statement or overarching purpose has been drafted for the tourism development plan for consideration by Council, tourism industry operators and the community- 'To develop the unique natural, heritage, rural and industrial attractions of Banana Shire, its supporting visitor infrastructure, and crossroads position, and target selected visitor markets, through coordinated initiatives and cooperative efforts by Council, industry operators and the community to deliver sustainable economic benefits to the community.

Blackall Tourism and Economic Vitalisation Strategy Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

The consultants were commissioned by Blackall Shire Council to: conduct research to determine the state of tourism to Blackall; agree, with Council, on strategies for developing tourism to Blackall; and prepare a document that recorded the steps to be taken by Council to implement agreed strategies.

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Document Objectives

Background information regarding tourism in the region; and a series of issues and recommendations regarding: funding, the establishment of an advisory committee, access, the visitor information centre, tourism product and tourism infrastructure and marketing.

Vision Statement

Not stated

Bowen Tourism Development Action Plan Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

Not stated

Document Objectives

Not stated

Vision Statement

Not stated

Burdekin Shire Tourism Action Plan Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

The Burdekin Shire Tourism Action Plan evolved from a recognition that the Burdekin Region required an outcomes-based tourism strategy and action plan encompassing all components of the regional tourism market.

Document Objectives

Provide an overview of the key research strategies and workshops undertaken in the Burdekin region (or relevant to the Burdekin region) and specifically relating to tourism; the current tourism status; industry consultation and recommended action plans and strategies.

Vision Statement

The issue of a stakeholder vision was mentioned in the plan but a vision statement was not articulated.

Caloundra Tourism Plan and Action Plan Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

The purpose of the tourism plan is to provide direction and focus to the industry, community and the government by presenting broad strategies that are developed to achieve the desired goals. The preparation of this tourism plan and action plan is one of the many initiatives that are engaged in developing a successful local tourism strategy for the Caloundra City region. Given the significance of tourism, Caloundra City Council's initiatives in the development of the local tourism strategy include a strong focus on the active engagement of Caloundra City's community and industry in shaping the City's tourism future.

Document Objectives

To provide broad strategies and activities for the tourism industry, the community and the Council. The plan details background issues, a vision, goals, strategies, funding requirements and a three year tourism action plan.

Vision Statement

The Caloundra City Council, the Economic Development Unit and the Tourism Taskforce developed a vision to articulate the outcomes sought from the Caloundra Tourism Plan by 2012. The Tourism Plan Vision for 2012 is: 'a sustainable local and regional tourism industry that complements Caloundra's unique natural assets and preferred lifestyle and is recognised for its encouragement for cooperation and coordination in offering memorable experiences for its visitors. This vision will be achieved with a tourism industry that: encourages cooperation and coordination from all sectors of the

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community; recognises that 'Caloundra the Brand' is owned by the whole community; respects and complements Caloundra City's natural assets; respects and enhances the environment in which it is located and operates and has the commitment to provide best practices and is driven by continuous and high quality research and development in all aspects of the industry.

Cardwell Shire Tourism Plan Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

Cardwell Shire and surrounds has traditionally relied on agricultural outputs, yet its diverse cultural history and natural areas (bordered by the Wet Tropics and Great Barrier Reef) mean that there is no doubt that the Cardwell Shire has high tourism potential. At the same time, these valuable 'tourism assets' need to be carefully managed to ensure long term sustainability of not only a healthy tourist industry but also the environmental, social and cultural values inherent of the Shire. There is a clear need for the community of Cardwell Shire to embody the strengths of its local tourism industry and collaborate with the wider region in developing strategies to accommodate visitors to the shire whilst at the same time developing strategies to attract visitors to the shire. The result will be a plan for tourism that will focus on partnerships, ownership and mutual responsibility.

Document Objectives

To develop a plan that will focus partnerships, ownerships and mutual responsibility; and the development and functions of the Tourism Taskforce.

Vision Statement

The Tourism Plan Vision for 2006 is ‘A community and tourism industry that works so well together that the Cardwell Shire and Great Green Way is internationally recognised as an innovator in achieving interdependent economic, social, cultural and environmental sustainability’.

Chinchilla Shire Council’s Tourism Plan Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

To place tourism in the context of Chinchilla Shire and the Shires developmental aspirations. For Chinchilla, tourism is an economic growth option that compliments and builds on existing strengths of the Shire.

Document Objectives

The tourism plan was developed as a follow up to the Chinchilla community 'Future Search' and tourism workshop.

Vision Statement

The Chinchilla Future Search workshop agreed on the following vision for Chinchilla: 'By 2010 Chinchilla will be a progressive and informed community that is characterised by innovative industries, a capacity for community action, and tolerance with a brand image that is seen and understood by Australian society as a benchmark for rural living. It will have a reputation as the most liveable shire in Australia'. The vision sees tourism in Chinchilla as being an addition to the community's portfolio of economic activity.

Crow’s Nest Tourism Development Action Plan Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

Not stated

Document Objectives

Not stated

Vision Statement

Not stated

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Douglas Shire Tourism Strategy Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

The Port Douglas and Daintree tourism strategy has been prepared to guide tourism planning, management, marketing and development. It is not intended that the strategy override existing planning frameworks, rather it be used as a guide where discretion is provided. As such the tourism strategy has been prepared having considered, and to be generally consistent with a range of other relevant regional plans.

Document Objectives

To develop an understanding of the diversity of tourism products, visitor patterns and evaluate the current market position of tourism in the Shire, while identifying goals for tourism in the Shire; alternative tourism futures for the Shire; tourism issues and potential strategies for their resolution; mechanisms to ensure tourism in the Shire is compatible with community aspirations, a stable economy and the longevity of the natural environment; and appropriate branding, image, promotion and marketing opportunities.

Vision Statement

Tourism in Douglas Shire will be recognised as a model of best practice sustainable tourism which presents our unique reef and rainforest areas and cultural heritage whilst benefiting the local community including Aboriginal groups.

Gatton Tourism Strategy Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

The aim of this report is to undertake an analysis of the tourism potential of the Gatton Shire and make a number of recommendations that will promote the development of the Shire's tourism industry in the short term.

Document Objectives

The objectives of this report are to: provide an inventory of all existing tourist related operations that are located within the Shire of Gatton; identify existing methods for the promotion of tourism in Gatton; identify trends of tourism in Gatton, if any; identify possible roles for all parties involved in Gatton Shire's tourism industry; discuss roles that are of concern to the tourism operators in the Shire; list opportunities for further tourism growth; and provide recommendations for Council and operators in the Shire's tourism industry.

Vision Statement

Not stated

Gold Coast Council’s Tourism Strategy Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

The development of this strategy recognises the importance of tourism to the local economy and provides Council with its first formal tourism strategic plan for the city and surrounding hinterland. Our Tourism City also provides a framework for many of the planning and policy outcomes generated from the GCTV project.

Document Objectives

Provide a framework within Council for the coordination of Gold Coast tourism and the development of planning and policy outcomes; assists council in prioritising the tourism initiatives for Gold Coast city; aims to position tourism as part of the social fabric of the community as well as the major industry in Gold Coast city; develops a mechanism for stakeholder coordination through fostering internal relationships with Council and continuing to build Council's partnerships with over levels of government and the private sector; and supports

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the ongoing marketing and promotion of Gold Coast city through the Gold Coast tourism bureau.

Vision Statement

The objective of this strategy is to fulfil the following statements: (1) Gold Coast city will remain Australia's premier tourism destination. A prosperous, growing tourism industry will be promoted through a sophisticated approach to tourism development that is ethically, socially, culturally, economically and environmentally sustainable. (2) through a collaborative, innovative, whole-of-destination approach to tourism planning and policymaking, Gold Coast City Council is a global leader in local government tourism destination management.

Hinchinbrook Shire Tourism Development Strategy Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

The Hinchinbrook Shire Tourism Development Strategy has been undertaken to provide the framework for: the balanced development of tourism throughout Hinchinbrook Shire, and short and mid-term strategic directions for individual sectors of the local tourist industry, the community, the Development Bureau of Hinchinbrook and Cardwell Shires and the Hinchinbrook Shire Council.

Document Objectives

To establish a common goal and objectives for the local industry, community, development bureau and council in the development of tourism; to develop strategies to achieve these objectives; to develop a time schedule for the implementation of these strategies including priorities and responsibilities; to implement monitoring methods to identify achievement of objectives and effectiveness of strategies.

Vision Statement

Not stated

Ipswich City Tourism Strategy Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

The Ipswich City tourism strategy is a document aimed to build a solid base for the development of a sustainable tourism industry that will supplement the local economy in the next century while conserving our natural and built heritage and environmental assets.

Document Objectives

The purpose of the strategy is to provide clear direction to local tourism operators and other associated businesses on the aims and objectives of tourism development within Ipswich City and the activities being provided by the Ipswich City Council.

Vision Statement

To make Ipswich a desirable destination offering quality experiences for tourists and economic benefits for the community.

Kilcoy Shire Tourism Management Plan Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

The Kilcoy Chamber of Commerce and Industry has recognised the importance of the tourism industry sector as a vital part of the economic development and future of the Kilcoy Shire. In recognition of the importance of tourism, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry applied for and received funding to develop a tourism management plan for the Kilcoy Shire. Tourism within the Kilcoy Shire already represents a major component of the economic mix and is one of the key sectors for future economic development. Like any economic development activity the ability to develop a strategic plan and manage the direction of this sector is vital to achieving successful outcomes.

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Document Objectives

Not stated

Vision Statement

Not stated

Laidley Shire Tourism Strategy Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

The study was commissioned by the Laidley Shire Council to conduct an analysis of the tourism potential of the Laidley Shire and from this analysis develop a five year tourism strategy.

Document Objectives

The report is a comprehensive analysis of the current position of tourism in the Shire and assesses both deficiencies and possibilities for tourism development. The report makes a number of recommendations which collectively build into a suggested tourism development strategy designed to improve the Shire's existing tourism infrastructure and tourism related businesses. The strategy also maps out a series of possible tourism futures that the Laidley Council can strive towards.

Vision Statement

Not stated

Mareeba Tourism Development Strategy Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

To promote the development of tourism in an integrated fashion across the Shire by establishing an appropriate level of physical and social infrastructure that will support the growth and evolution of this critical industry.

Document Objectives

Not stated

Vision Statement

Not stated

Maroochy Tourism Development Strategy Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

The Maroochy Shire Tourism Strategy was commissioned by Council and established the foundation and direction for further development of sustainable tourism throughout the Shire during the next 3-5 years.

Document Objectives

The tourism development strategy has been developed from extensive consultation and fieldwork throughout the Shire and is presented as an action plan which brings together 95 strategies (actions) based on the recommendations and key issues contained in the body of the report. The strategies are grouped under five strategic objectives which provide an integrated approach and blueprint for the future.

Vision Statement

By the year 2005, Maroochy Shire will be positioned as the primary visitor destination in the region, offering a wide range of facilities and experiences, with strong, sustained growth in the domestic, special-interest and international markets.

Mirani Pioneer Valley Tourism Strategy Plan Overview Rationale of There is a pressing need for the development of a new leading sector in the

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the Plan regional economy that will raise the level of economic activity and provide jobs. Tourism is particularly well suited for this role because of its labour intensive nature and consequently significant regional impact. The primary objective of the study, therefore, is the formulation of a tourism development strategy for the Pioneer Valley, which includes Mirani Shire.

Document Objectives

Not stated

Vision Statement

Not stated

Mount Isa Tourism Masterplan Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

Whilst we all recognise the need to develop tourism for Mount Isa, a haphazard approach to tourism development may compromise the very qualities that make Mount Isa a potentially sought after destination. A framework must be established which defines what constitutes appropriate tourism development.

Document Objectives

The report serves as a guiding framework for tourism development over the next 10 years and provides a planning framework within which tourism issues should be addressed.

Vision Statement

To integrate the tourism assets and attributes of Mount Isa into a unique experience that reflects the unique qualities of the district, creates a strong destination image, assists in diversifying the local economy and has high appeal for the community, intrastate, interstate and international visitors.

Murilla Shire Tourism Action Plan Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

Not stated

Document Objectives

Not stated

Vision Statement

Not stated

Nanango Shire Tourism Development Action Plan Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

The report provides a tourism development action plan commissioned by Nanango Shire Council in parallel with the South Burnett Regional Tourism Strategy and is designed to be read in conjunction with the regional strategy, which addresses the wider strategic issues and market development. The Nanango Tourism Action Plan focuses on the actions that can be undertaken by the Nanango Shire Council, its tourism operators, business operators and wider community, to further the development of tourism as an economic contributor within the Shire.

Document Objectives

The tourism action plan focuses at the local level, taking into account the strategies proposed for the South Burnett region but reflecting opportunities to develop tourism activity and benefits within the Nanango Shire. The action plan comprises 31 recommendations together with a series of actions in the categories of: image and prominence for the shire; structure of the tourism industry and support; and product development.

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Vision Statement

Not stated

Noosa Tourism Plan and Action Plan Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

In preparing the new IPA based Land Use Planning Scheme, it became apparent to council that whilst the Scheme describes a vision for the preferred future for Noosa, the tools of the Planning Scheme itself (development control), cannot alone achieve the preferred community visions. Other sectors in our community including other arms of government, the private sector and voluntary agencies play vital roles in our community and are all essential contributors to the final community outcomes. To achieve a greater focus on partnerships, ownership and mutual responsibility for implementation between the community, community organisations, council and state agencies, council has embarked on a new concept of community based sector plans. Clearly tourism is a major industry in Noosa Shire. It contributes significantly to and impacts on the economy, the environment, lifestyle social and characteristics of the community. Given this significance, council selected tourism as the first sector in this community sector planning process.

Document Objectives

The tourism plan charts a course for the tourism industry, the community and the council that should contribute to the realisation of economic, social and environmental sustainability.

Vision Statement

Having identified and discussed key strategic issues and desired strategic shifts, the tourism collaborative board developed a vision to express the outcomes sought from the Noosa tourism plan by 2011, together with goals and strategies to achieve the plan. The tourism plan vision for 2011 is: A community and tourism industry that works for well together that Noosa is internationally recognised as an innovator in achieving interdependent economic, social and environmental sustainability.

Pine Rivers Tourism Strategy Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

Council to recognise the economic potential of tourism in the Pine Rivers economy in diversifying the economic base, creating more locally based employment within existing and provincial communities and providing a sustainable alternative that neutralises land and resource conflict in potentially environmentally sensitive areas.

Document Objectives

A series of strategies and subsequent actions.

Vision Statement

Not stated

Pittsworth Shire Council Local Tourism Strategy Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

The development of a local tourism strategy has been based on the community acceptance of the need to do more to encourage and promote tourism in the Pittsworth Shire whilst recognising that there must be ongoing economic benefits to the community.

Document Objectives

A number of strategic issues and directions have been developed under each element of the plan and are designed to give direction and guidance to council

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and the community when dealing with tourism development and promotion. Vision Statement

Not stated

Redcliffe Tourism Development Strategy Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

The motivation for the review stems from a firm desire and commitment on behalf of Council to continue to devise, and implement strategies and initiatives that will deliver tangible economic development, business growth and employment creation outcomes for Redcliffe and its resident and business community.

Document Objectives

The strategic process comprises the following elements: the development of a planning framework to define the parameters of the tourism strategy; an assessment of the study area’s internal capabilities and external environments; a definition of the desired end-state or vision to be achieved at the end of the planning process; and the tourism development strategy itself, which includes strategic objectives and prioritised actions to reach this desired end-state.

Vision Statement

The tourism strategy establishes a 10 year program of activities that seeks to create the following vision: “To integrate the recreation and tourism attributes of Redcliffe into a unique and diverse themed experience that showcases the strengths of the City, creates a strong destination profile, complements rather than competes with the wider region, diversifies the local economy and has high appeal for visitor markets and the local community”.

Redland Shire Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

The project was undertaken because of the realisation that tourism in Redland Shire has not achieved its full potential. The Redland Shire Council has determined a need to establish a five-year strategic framework for tourism development in the Shire.

Document Objectives

The consultants have endeavoured to produce a practical strategy that provides a clear way forward for tourism not only within the Shire, but also within the broader regional context (p.8). Some of Council’s major objectives of this planning exercise were to: examine previous planning that directly or indirectly affects the Shire’s tourism industry and evaluate its current relevance; undertake through field evaluation and stakeholder consultation an examination of the current status of the tourism industry; identify current stakeholder issues and concerns and seek to identify areas of consensus and address areas of debate amongst the array of different stakeholder groups; and provide an independent evaluation of the issues facing the industry and a critical review of those current hurdles that are preventing the ability of the Shire to adopt more sustainable directions (p.9).

Vision Statement

The tourism industry, the community and government must decide what they want from tourism in the Shire. The process of consultation seeks to identify the differing views of stakeholders and attempt to strike a balance between those views in order to achieve the best outcome possible. After an extensive process of consultation and research, the following vision has been formulated: ‘In five years time, Redland Shire will have a sustainable tourism industry working cohesively throughout the Shire, delivering a diverse array of consistently high quality experiences throughout the year that encourage

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traditional day trip and tourism markets to stay longer, spend more and attract new experiential market sectors to the Shire. Tourism will be seen to integrate with as opposed to inundate the natural, social and economic values of the Shire to preserve and play a pivotal role in retaining the unique character of each of the Shire’s distinctive settings. The natural and cultural assets that underpin the success of the industry will be protected and showcased through best practice approaches to ensure that the needs of the Shire’s residents and the tourism industry share a common vision’.

Roma Tourism Action Plan Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

Not stated

Document Objectives

Not stated

Vision Statement

Not stated

Sarina Shire Tourism Strategy Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

The tourism development strategy is a Sarina Shire Council initiative as part of its overall programme for new economic development in the Shire.

Document Objectives

The strategy reviews the current situation with regards to tourism development in the Shire and concludes that the sector is still in the embryonic stage. Although the strategy does not make any formal suggestion, it implicitly recognises that need for an institutional and consultative framework to be set up in partnership with the local council to coordinate and drive the tourism development efforts of the Shire. This is seen as the driving force which should initiate and direct actions towards the implementation of the tourism development strategy.

Vision Statement

Our vision is: to develop and promote the Shire as a quality, competitive and affordable tourist destination to both domestic and international visitors; to promote diversity in the development of our tourism base; and to engage in a tourism development path that is economically, ecologically and socially sustainable in the long term.

Thuringowa Tourism and Event Strategy Plan Overview Rationale of the Plan

It has long been recognised that Thuringowa possesses significant assets and attributes that can be harnessed to develop a sustainable tourism industry and over time develop a destination image for the locality. To date however, there has been no clear consensus on how to exploit this potential, resulting in the fact that tourism as an industry is still in its infant stages, characterised by the independent operation of tourism products in the locality and significant variation in quality of product and delivery. The current infant status of the industry however provides an ideal opportunity to develop a planning approach that sows the seeds to develop a sustainable tourism industry without having to undo potential problems of the past. In recognition of the need to coordinate tourism development to achieve optimal results for Thuringowa, the council commissioned this report, which represents a tourism and event strategy for this

451

city. This strategy/masterplan has been prepared in response to an initiative by the Thuringowa City Council to establish a planning framework, which guides the development of tourism and related recreational activities in the local government area.

Document Objectives

To establish a planning framework to guide the development of tourism and related recreational activities in Thuringowa City.

Vision Statement

The tourism masterplan established a ten year program of activities that seeks to create the following vision: ‘to integrate the tourism attributes of Thuringowa into a unique and diverse themed experience that showcases the strengths of the district, creates a strong destination profile, complements rather than competes with the wider region, diversifies the local economy and has high appeal for the community and domestic and international visitors’.

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458

Appendix 15: Principles and Goals of the Douglas Shire Tourism Strategy Principles: • Focus on quality tourism products and

yield rather than volume. • Provide a high quality of service using

our tropical hospitality. • Manage and develop the industry

cooperatively with the community. • Focus on presenting reef and rainforest. • Encourage a diversity of experiences

and opportunities for varied markets. • Present our unique Aboriginal and

cultural values with respect and integrity as agreed by the traditional occupiers of the land.

• Promote and present other cultural values in accordance with best practice.

• Present our values in an appropriate way.

• Maintain an attractive natural and built landscape and social atmosphere.

• Maximise the use of local business, services and employees.

• Provide a stable career for local tourism employees.

• Market, promote and advertise honestly, developing realistic expectations.

• Control development to protect agricultural land, the environment and lifestyle.

Goals: • Sustainable Tourism: To ensure the

ecological, social, cultural and economic sustainability of existing and future tourism in the Shire.

• Precincts and Nodes: To promote a variety of tourism precincts and nodes where appropriate within the Shire which provide a diversity of experiences based on their natural and cultural characteristics.

• Tourism Organisation and Management: To have adequately resourced tourism management in the Shire through an efficient, coordinated and consultative organization.

• Tourism Marketing: To promote the Shire’s unique tourism value and attractions in an honest and effective way.

• Product Development: To provide for sustainable growth and develop appropriate tourism products for changing markets.

• Infrastructure Development: To ensure appropriate infrastructure provides a variety of tourism opportunities.

• Implementation, Monitoring and Review: To ensure the ongoing management of tourism marketing and development is considered, coordinated and based on cooperative approaches.

Source: Douglas Shire Council, 1998