Sustainable Tourism Online: Destinations and Communities
Sustainable Tourism Online (STO) is a comprehensive online information resource in initiated by EarthCheck, delivering substantial research, data and tools within sustainability themes. STO also offers relevant information and knowledge on broader sustainability tourism topics.
Destinations and Communities
Tourism is regarded as one of the top five employers world-wide and plays a significant role in the economic and social development of many destinations and communities around the world. Destinations seeking to find a balance between their economic, social and environmental aspirations are engaged in ‘destination management’. The internationally recognised VICE model recognises that tourism in a destination is the interaction between:
Visitors;
the Industry that serves them;
the Community that hosts them; and their collective impact on, and response to
the Environment where it all takes place.
The Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre (STCRC) has invested over $260 million in research during the last 12 years to understand the factors that influence ‘success’ and the most effective way to achieve sustainable tourism development through destination management. Destination managers and tourism planners have recognised the need for a more holistic approach to destination planning, development and marketing. Over the last decade tourism stakeholders at the destination level have gradually shifted focus from the traditional marketing and promotional functions to the more coordinated strategic approach of destination management. The term ‘destination management’ and other tourism-specific terminology are often defined differently.
Destination Performance
‘You can’t manage what you don’t measure’
The sustainability of a destination is significantly influenced by its ability to adapt to changing market conditions, use resources efficiently and deliver innovative planning and development strategies. That requires an objective review of past performance as part of an ongoing and cyclical process to monitor and evaluate a destination’s progress in achieving its goals and vision. Measuring and monitoring destination performance is important in identifying future opportunities and challenges for tourism in the destination and strategies to improve on performance over time.
Academic and industry research from around the world has shown that effective destination performance monitoring should:
Be based on key performance indicators or achievement levels that are developed and agreed in the planning and implementation phases of destination management;
Be based on a performance monitoring framework that guide activities, timing and methods and identifies key roles and responsibilities;
Identify relevant performance monitoring tools, methods or certification options to assist in measuring and reporting on performance;
Include an assessment of the organisational performance of destination management organisations as well as destination-wide performance data including visitor satisfaction;
Sustainability indicators should be used to measure the economic, social and environmental impact of tourism on the destination;
Regularly monitor potential risks to ensure that appropriate prevention, preparedness, response and recovery strategies are developed;
Measure destination performance over time against agreed industry benchmarks for best practice;
Identify strategies for continual improvement and innovation to achieve best practice and destination goals;
Communicate and report on destination performance achievements with stakeholders, including visitors;
Identify strategies to leverage performance achievements with funding agencies, suppliers and statutory bodies.
A number of core topics relating to destination performance are described in further detail in the links below including results for topic-relevant research, tools and resources.
Destination Planning
Tourism can and will evolve with or without planning, however the sustainability of a destination depends on whether the type and scale of tourism is best suited to the destination. Effective destination management relies on an iterative and continual planning process that integrates tourism into a community’s social, economic and environmental aspirations. Tourism destination planning is an area which has attracted significant research and analysis, summarised in the following sub-sections of Destination Planning:
Situation Analysis
Planning Process
Ongoing Engagement
Effective destination management looks at the strategic direction for future development, marketing and management of tourism where decision making is based on an assessment of the best available knowledge. In short, effective destination planning should:
Be collaborative process that ensures the engagement, participation and commitment of all relevant stakeholders;
Be a coordinated approach that is managed based on clearly defined processes and frameworks;
Be based on an understanding of existing internal and external operating environments of the destination;
Be based on a sound understanding of tourism supply and demand forecasts for the destination;
Consider all relevant information including market research, stakeholder values, the planning environment and available resources and assets;
Develop a clear and agreed strategic direction for the destination including a tourism vision, goals, strategies and actions, brand and positioning, roles and responsibilities, ongoing management processes and performance measures;
Result in the development of key planning and strategic documents including plans for destination management, ongoing research, strategic marketing, risk identification and management;
Be used to inform all phases of destination management including ‘Implementation’ and ‘Destination Performance’;
Be an ongoing or cyclical process, where plans and strategies are regularly reviewed to ensure relevance within the changing environment.
Elements of effective destination planning can be achieved through three steps – the situation analysis phase, the planning process and ongoing engagement. Further information on these steps is provided in the links below along with specific information, tools and resources to assist destination managers.
Implementation
‘Destination Planning’ is an iterative process, while developing, marketing and managing a destination happens concurrently and in an evolutionary way. Destinations don’t noticeably move from one phase to another but rather move fluidly between planning and implementation. Implementing sustainable tourism outcomes is a delicate balance of developing without overdeveloping, marketing without over-promoting and managing without stifling the natural and dynamic social and cultural attributes of unique and vibrant destinations.
Memorable destinations get the right balance of natural, cultural and man-made features and make the most of their landscape and climate without threatening their sustainable future and work with the community to deliver economic, social and environmental benefits.
As a major employer worldwide, tourism can sustain viable communities and promote living cultures. As an industry that is primarily about bringing the customer to the product and experience (with the exception of virtual tourism), it faces a number of unique challenges including: community engagement and support, access, and public infrastructure investment. Consumer perceptions and expectations may also be influenced by factors outside the industry’s control. In addition, destination management involves challenges in engaging diverse stakeholders involved tourism.
Over the past decade, over $260 million has been invested by the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre in understanding what factors influence sustainable implementation of destination planning, leading to vibrant, sustainable and memorable tourism destinations.
