T O U R I S M P L A N N I N G P R O C E S S

-ongoing process that must keep up with the changing character of the world & of the destination area

5 ESSENTIAL STEPS IN TOURISM PLANNING PROCESS

1. Background-analysis phase (Situational analysis)
(Identification of Tourism System)

The first step in the tourism-planning process is a situational analysis that provides the basic
direction for the succeeding steps.

National Tourism Policy must first be considered and interpreted before establishing a national
tourism plan. Tourism policy goals are usually classified into four: economic, consumer/social,
resource/environmental and government operations.

The background analysis should produce an inventory or listing of the area's tourism resource
components.

COMPONENT SUB-COMPONENT
NATURAL
FEATURES








HISTORICAL &
CULTURAL
FEATURES






TOURIST
OPERATIONS &
FACILITIES


HOSPITALITY
SERVICES




HUMAN
RESOURCE



GENERAL SOCIO-
ECONOMIC


PRESENT LAND
USES
Landscapes/Geological resources
topography, soils, sand dunes, beaches, caves, rocks & minerals,
fossils
unique features
Climate-seasons
Water resources-lakes, streams, waterfalls
Flora-forests, flowers, shrubs, wild edibles
Fauna-fish & wildlife
Scenery-combinations of all of the above

Historic buildings, sites
Monuments, shrines
Cuisine, Ethnic cultures
Industry, government, religion, etc.
Anthropological resources
Local celebrities
Performing artists-music, drama, art, storytellers, etc.
Craftsman and artisans

attractions
accommodations
food service
events

information centers
reservation systems
commercial stores & services (banks, retail stores)
Infrastructure-transportation roads, airports, railroads, harbors &
marinas, trails & walkways

population & work force
ethnic community
- attitude toward tourism

employment/unemployment
industries
economic conditions
social problems

land ownership
planning & zoning regulations
future growth & development

The next step is a description of existing tourism demand in the destination area using readily
available secondary or published sources of information.

The final step in the background analysis is a review of the major strengths, weaknesses,
problems and issues within the destination areas existing tourism industry.
2. Detailed research & analysis phase

Research should be concentrated in four distinct areas: resources, markets, activities and competition.

The first step in the resource analysis involves the preparation of maps identifying the location of major resources. The
last stage is the resource classification ranking or grading of the scope of appeal of the tourism resources of the
destination area.

Activities - includes all the things the tourist can do while visiting the destination area.

The detailed research analysis can assist in identifying the most competitive destinations, their individual strengths
and weaknesses and the steps to be taken to make the subject destination area unique among its competitors.
3. Synthesis phase

This is where major conclusions regarding previous work are formulated.
It is one of the most creative and important steps in the process.
The first step in the synthesis phase is the preparation of position statements. The position statements indicates where
we are now with respect to development marketing, industry organization, awareness and other support services.
The second step is to determine where we would like to be or the desired future situation. It is useful for the
destination area to verbalize these desired states in terms of tourism development, marketing, industry organization,
awareness and support services.
4. Goal-setting, strategy selection, and objective-setting
If tourism is identified as a means of serving broader community goals, it makes sense to develop plans with more
specific tourism development objectives. These are generally defined through a continuing process in which various
groups and organizations in a community work together toward common goals. A local planning
authority, chamber of commerce, visitors bureau, or similar group should assume a leadership role to develop an
initial plan and obtain broad involvement of tourism interests in the community. Public support for the planning
process and plan is also important.

Having a good understanding of tourism and the tourism system in your community is the first step toward defining
goals and objectives for tourism development. The types of goals that are appropriate and the precision with which
you are able to define them will depend upon how long your community has been involved in tourism and tourism
planning.

In the early stages of tourism development, goals may involve establishing organizational structures and collecting
information to better identify the tourism system in the community. Later, more precise objectives can be formulated
and more specific development and marketing strategies evaluated.
Once the planning goals have been set there are various approaches or strategies that can be employed to
achieve them.
5. Plan development
The last step of the tourism planning process is the development of the plan. The plan includes the action needed in
achieving the objectives, implement the strategy and satisfy the planning goals.
Successful tourism planning and development means serving both tourists and local residents. The bulletins in
this series stress the importance of a market orientation for attracting and serving tourists. This market orientation must
be balanced with a clear view of how tourism serves the broader community interest and an understanding of the
positive and negative impacts of tourism development.

Remember, tourism should serve the community first and the tourist second. Tourism development must
be compatible with other activities in the area and be supported by the local population. Therefore, the
tourism plan should be closely coordinated with other local and regional planning efforts, if not an integral part
of them.