Tourism Policy and Strategy - Assignment Example

TOURISM Tourism development, as Pearce (1989) rightly observes, is an expression that encompasses not only origins, destinations, motivationsand impacts, but also the complex linkages that exist between all the people and institutions of that interlocking global supply and demand. Economic globalization has an impact on tourism worldwide. The formation of regional economic and trading blocs - particularly in the triadic regions of North America (North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA)), Europe (European Union (EU)) and East Asia-Pacific (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) - and the development of formal links between those blocs (e.g. the Asia-Europe Meetings). In all of these regions tourism is a major component of economic and social policy (Hall 2001). The public and private sectors play a role in tourism. The tendency to privatise and commercialise functions that were once performed by government has been almost universal in western nations since the late 1970s and has affected the nature of many national governments' involvement in the tourism industry (Hall 1994). According to Hall and Jenkins (1995), three principal reasons for this trend may be identified. Governments are interested in: a.) reducing the dependency of public enterprises on public budgets; b.) reducing public debt by selling state assets and c.) raising technical efficiencies by commercialization. Tourism development in Britain has been achieved through a rigorous tourism research which involves the Department of Culture, Media and Sports. The successful bid of London for the 2012 Olympics emphasizes the preparedness of the DCMS in the tourism sector. Tourism plays a significant role in the economic development of Britain. Hundreds of millions of holidays are taken, and day-trips made, in this country every year. The businesses that serve those visitors make up an industry worth around 76 billion a year - about 4.4% of UK GDP. It is estimated that 2.1 million people, or 7.4% of the working population, work in the tourism industry (of whom, 1.8 million are estimated to be employed in England). (OECD, 2006). Moreover, the UK remains one of the most popular destinations for international leisure and business travellers. According to the World Tourism Organisation, it ranked seventh in the table of inbound world tourism earners with a total earning of US $15.1 billion dollars in 2001. (Tomorrow's Tourism Today). The industry is aiming for an industry turnover of 100 billion as a minimum by 2010. The British tourism industry also faces challenges. David Coleman summarised the problems now facing British countryside as: changes to the scenery, e.g. with fewer animals, lack of investment in the countryside and its infrastructure, fewer countryside activities, such as events and shows and lack of enthusiasm from businesses and people. He cited that the local authorities can assist by working with the industry, reviewing the rural infrastructure, e.g. by ensuring temporary footpath closure signs are removed, promoting support for businesses and taking a positive attitude towards planning issues and rural development.("Working for the Countryside"). The growth of international and domestic tourism has been matched by a corresponding increase in the numbers of those who study tourism and its impacts. Indeed, it may even be said that tourism research is one of the academic growth industries of the late twentieth century (Hall 1995). A specific example of tourism research is the Tomorrow's Tourism Today or the Tourism Prospectus. This Prospectus outlines plans for action and responsibilities for delivery for the Department of Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS) and its key partners in five areas. These are the four joint priorities agreed by the DCMS and the tourism industry; marketing and e-tourism, quality, skills and data, and advocacy for tourism across the European Union. The Tourism Prospectus was the result of consultation by the DCMS with its key partnership organisations; VisitBritain, the England Marketing Advisory Board (EMAB), the Tourism Alliance, the Local Government Association and the Regional Development Agencies. It also reflects comments from over 30 organisations and individuals who responded to a final round of general consultation. The idea for Tomorrow's Tourism Today came from the series of Hartwell Conferences between the DCMS and the tourism industry. They were part of the process of tackling the downturn in tourism that followed the Foot and Mouth outbreak and the September 11th attacks in 2001. The tourism reform agenda has led to significant changes in the structures that help support the tourism industry. Most notable are the creation of VisitBritain as a dynamic marketing organisation promoting Britain abroad and England domestically, and the passing of regional tourism strategy in England to the Regional Development Agencies. Tomorrow's Tourism Today gives a clear guide to agreed roles and responsibilities for a programme of partnership for the growth of the tourism industry. Two specific goals of this tourism policy document are: promoting closer collaboration between the public bodies which promote tourism, culture, heritage and sport and giving greater recognition and support to local authorities and other local organisations in supporting tourism. Heritage activities and attractions are an important part of the British tourism industry. Participation in selected heritage are: visiting national parks, or engaging in bushwalking, rainforest walks etc in other areas; visiting botanical or other public gardens; attending performing arts or concerts; visiting historical sites; visiting museums or art galleries; visiting art/craft workshops/studios; visiting a local site or community or viewing art/craft and cultural displays; and, visiting historic or heritage buildings, sites or monuments. A specific program of action which was implemented as a result of the tourism policy document was the Hidden Britain Centre in Cumbria. The Hidden Britain Center focuses on the lesser-known areas of the countryside. It aims to provide tourists an authentic experience one can enjoy locally at a town festival, poking around an historic church, or settling in by the fire of the local pub for a hearty meal and some good conversation. Hidden Britain aims to highlight the beauty of local communities. The benefits to local communities include the promotion of local business, theencouragement of local employmentand the enhancement of the local community life. A second program which was an offshoot of the tourism policy document was the local heritage initiative of the The Bamburgh Environs Survey Project. The Bamburgh Research Project has set up a community based survey project in conjunction with the Local Heritage Initiative (LHi). The project, which is supported by Northumberland County Council, will allow members of the village community and the Bamburgh area to get involved in researching their past. The survey has involved the creation of a topographical map of the castle rock and its immediate landscape. Techniques as diverse as building recording, ground penetrating radar, EDM survey and column sampling by auger have been used. The survey has included: excavation of small test pits within the gardens of the village, a ground penetrating radar survey within the west ward of the castle and on the village green in front of the castle, creation of computer model of the castle and the rock on which it stands, the mapping of the layers beneath the present ground surface in the coastal area. In addition to using more conventional survey techniques and computer modeling the e have conducted an innovative test pitting technique. This involves excavating small test pits, only 1m square, in gardens within Bamburgh Village and sieving the soil before replacing it in the test pit. The technique allows the recovery of finds and works rather like the more conventional process of field walking. The project yielded encouraging results. The excavation of two trenches within the medieval chapel in the castle has revealed part of a building, running diagonally across, and earlier than, the surviving 12th century walls of the chapel. This early structure, with walls 0.85m wide and surviving to a height of 0.75m, could be part of the first stone defences of the Norman castle, demolished to build the chapel. However, they might be part of an Anglo-Saxon stone church, knocked down and rebuilt in the Norman style. Three large mounds (30m in diameter) lie to the south of the village. Two Bronze Age burials were discovered in one of the mounds in the 19th century, suggesting that all three may be burial mounds. Geophysical survey and test pit excavation have not revealed any burials, but has suggested that the mounds may not be wholly man-made, but had originally been formed by glacial action, and then used for burials in the prehistoric period.Further, extensive geophysical survey has been carried out at the western end of Bamburgh village. The third specific program which was the offshoot of the tourism policy document was the VisitBritain. VisitBritain was established as a strategic, marketing-focused body in April 2003, bringing together the former English Tourism Council and the British Tourist Authority. Speaking as guest of honour at the British Travel Trade Fair 2006 at the National Exhibition Centre, Lord Charles Spencer said Britain's heritage was the life-blood of the burgeoning UK tourism industry. "People are drawn to explore Britain because we have such a rich and varied heritage," he said. "We have a responsibility to preserve and maintain it, to keep it alive, and to publicise and promote it." Lord Spencer's own stately home, Althorp - which hosts an exhibition devoted to the life of Diana, Princess of Wales - is among the 300-plus exhibitors taking part in BTTF 2006. Althorp was recently given three awards at the England in Excellence Awards in the small visitor attraction, outstanding quality, outstanding customer service categories. The awards were organised by VisitBritain, and backed by the national tourism boards of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. TomWright, chief executive for VisitBritain said, "The days when people were content to spend their time on the beach are long gone. People are now interested in their national heritage." (Birmigham Post). WORKS CITED PAGE Pearce, P. (1982). The Social Psychology of Tourist Behavior. Oxford:Pergamon. Hall, C.M. (1994). Tourism and Politics, Policy Power and Place. London: John Wiley and Sons. Hall, C. M. (1995) Introduction to Tourism in Australia, 2nd edn, South Melbourne: Longman, Australia. OECD. (2006) Annual, Report on Tourism and tourism policy in OECD Member Counties. OECD. Hall, C.M. Jenkins J M (2000).Tourism and Public policy. London: Routledge . Ritchie JR, Brent and Geoffrey I Crouch. "Competitiveness in international tourism: Framework for understanding and analysis (1993) Geoffrey Crouch and J.R. Brent Ritchie "Destination Competitiveness and the Role of the Tourism Enterprise. Position Papers: Tomorrow's Tourism Today. The Department of Culture, Music and Sports, UK.2002. The Countryside Agency and the English Tourism Council, "Working for the Countryside". Magazine Pinch, Emma. "MIDLAND: Investing in the Past Is Key to Britain's Tourism Future".The Birmingham Post. March 2, 2006. p. 5. Read More