The Australian Tourism Policy - Essay Example

The Australian Tourism Policy Introduction Policies are documents or laws made by the government in conjunction with other stakeholders to improve on the existing laws. In the tourism industry, certain laws are made in order to increase the returns acquired through foreign exchange and tourist spending while still conserving the natural resources as well as the culture of inhabitants (Gartner & Daniel, 2000). Due to this, a tourism policy is a document or law made by the government with other stakeholders including the non-governmental organizations which have interests in the tourism and environment issues to regulate and mobilize improvements in the tourism industry (Philip, 1994). In Australia, tourism policies have been made to increase the attractiveness and competitiveness of Australia as a tourism destination. Since 1974, the tourism docket in Australia has been making policies which are gradually improving the tourism industry in the country (Hall & William, 1996). Throughout the policy making, there have been wordings like development, developing, sustaining, sustainable, and managing and management which have all been emphasized to improve the tourism in the country. The following paper will tackle the history of tourism policies in Australia, the challenges that were addressed as well as the current emerging issues which have been tackled in the recent policies. The Australian Tourism Policy In 1974, the first tourism policy in Australia was formulated. The policy was geared towards addressing issues of mismanaged tourism attraction sites, destinations and resources. The policies that followed through out the years until 2003, had notable words like development which could be broken down into development and developing, sustain which could be fragmented into sustainable and sustainability, and develop which could be broken down into developing and development. These issues were vividly explained and strategic plans were written down on how the issues of mismanagement and development of tourist attraction sites and destinations were not sustaining the ever rising demand for tourist satisfaction. In general, as described by Lin & Suzanne (2009) ‘the policies aim at improving international marketing strategies and effectiveness through a greater focus on regional dispersal and by refreshing and enhancing’. The recent policies as recorded by Grace (2007), ‘concentrate on the improvement of the existing attractions sites in order to match the international tourism expectation’. Furthermore, the policies would aim at making Australia a world class tourism destination. The policies would also be geared towards the development of tourism destinations that would that would fully meet the tourists’ demand for better infrastructure so as to increase the national revenue acquired from the tourism industry (Katrina & Andrew, 2000). The policies noted the tourism industry was suffering from a shortage of world class service for the tourist hence the policy also included the strategies to combat this anomaly. Inclusion of public education and educational programs on how to deal with different kinds of people from different languages regions was one of the major boosts to the tourism industry in Australia. Further report by Philip (1994), ‘By addressing the major policy challenges in the medium to long term, the strategy will provide a framework that will assist the Australian tourism industry, in partnership with government, to achieve specific outcomes that enable it to achieve international competitiveness, and economic, social and environmental sustainability’. This would be done by first coordinating the three levels of government. That is, the federal government which would aim to create an optimum policy environment for tourism development, particularly in respect to the international marketing of Australia, product quality and development, industry sustainability and profitability, air services arrangements, tourism infrastructure, visitor visa processing, investment, skills development and standards, the interface between tourism and the environment, and building upon the sector’s information base, with the local governments play an important role in tourism development through the provision of tourism infrastructure and the upkeep of tourist attractions, such as beaches and local parks, as well as responsibility for tourism development and regulatory decisions, and support for local and regional tourism promotion and organizations and the state or territory governments. Certain governmental representatives are responsible for the formulation of the policy. They include the Tourism Ministers’ Council which facilitates consultation and policy coordination between members on tourism matters of national significance, the Australian Standing Committee on Tourism (ASCOT) which improve cooperation and coordination of Government policies and activities as they affect tourism but mainly deal with the non-contentious issues which otherwise may require the attention of the TMC, coordinate and consider tourism policies in Australia and provide advice and recommendations to the Tourism Ministers’ Council (Michael, 2007). Another key policy formulation member is the Destination Australia Marketing Alliance (DAMA) which transmits tourism information to overseas consumers and industry in a way that generates more sales and extends product distribution in overseas regions. In addition, the Bureau of Tourism Research (BTR), which provides governments and industry with high quality and timely tourism specific data and research (Philip, 1994). The Tourism Research Committee is also important in the policy formulation process because it regularly examines research priorities of stakeholders to ensure research providers are meeting the needs of research users and oversights various research projects conducted by the research providers. Lastly, the National Tourism Issues Response Plan provides a response mechanism to events such as acts of terrorism or war that may impact on the Australian tourism industry. Before a policy is formulated there has to an existing gap or flaw in the tourism industry. These problems or flaws make the government open the policy formulation process. During the policy formation process certain aspects of the existing tourism situation are assessed. The government which is the main policy maker conducts researches on which aspects of the tourism industry needs to be improved on (Michael, 1995). The government does this using questionnaires and surveys. The government also checks on the areas which were not adequately addressed by the previous policies. In addition, the government may hire experts to access the extent to which the previous policy did not adequately fulfill its mandate. This would be essential in providing of a policy that would address the issues from a professional view (Michael, 2007). The government is also responsible for the provision of funds to the policy formulation panel and oversight committee to ensure that conclusive and quality solutions are made. Due to this the government allocates funds to the tourism policy formulation panel and provides an account of what the policy formulation panel is to do with the funds (Charles & Brent, 1995). The government also allocates funds to the policy implementation committee to ensure that timely and well strategized plans are undertaken conclusively. Since the government is the only fund contributor, it is also responsible for ensuring that the funds are not misappropriated or used for the benefit of other individuals (Michael, 2007). The nongovernmental organizations which specialize in environmental conservation and tourism related trades are also responsible for the formulation of an all inclusive policy (Michael, 2007). They include the National Tourism Alliance (NTA) which coordinates policy formulation and representation on behalf of the Australian tourism industry, the TTF Australia which is responsible for developing tourism and related infrastructure policy for its members and the Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) which has been the responsible for the development of a national accreditation framework and a code of conduct. They provide the much important information on which policies to be made without the eradication or depletion of certain environmental aspects. The organizations ensure that the species that are almost driven to extinction are adequately protected. They also ensure that the human animal conflict is minimized or reduced to none. This would ensure that the tourism industry flourishes and brings maximum returns without putting other animals and human at risk. The nongovernmental organizations also put into consideration the cultural and social aspects of the people living near the national and private parks and reserves. The policy formulation process undergoes certain steps which are essential for an effective policy formulation. These steps are problem identification, policy formulation, implementation and termination. The initial step of policy formulation is the problem identification. During this stage, the government conducts surveys, researches and analyses the development gained from the previous policy (Grace, 2007). The government also seeks to note the various areas in which the previous policy did not adequately address. The government also seeks to identify the areas which would be better if addressed in the policy to increase the national income as well as improve the living standards of the inhabitants while still conserving the environment (Michael, 2007). Secondly, the government conveys meetings with the nongovernmental organization which are biased to environmental conservation and protection. A series of discussions and consultations follow with the ultimate goal of formulating a solution to the problems facing the tourism industry (Grace, 2007). The government provides information on which areas need to be changed and the non governmental organizations provide a guide line on how to address the issues without changing the natural habitats of trees and animals (Grace, 2007. The nongovernmental organizations also provide information on which projects would be for the ultimate benefit of the communities living around the national attraction centers. In this stage solutions to the existing problems are outlined and written down as a draft tourism policy (Martin, 2001). After the policy has been drafted, it is passed to the legislature for amendment and passing into law. The legislature makes modifications to the draft law to match the national and international stature (Grace, 2007). The legislature may call in experts to provide a professional view to understand whether the policy would adequately address the underlying problems. The legislature would also consider the amount of funds that would be allocated to the implementation committee. This would be done by inviting or hiring of accounting experts who would evaluate the amount of money and the costs that the policy would require input in the process of implementation for proper realization of the goals set. Thirdly, after the policy has been passed by the legislature, it is handed over to the implementation committee. The implementation committee follows the plans and strategies that are laid down in the policy. Through the strategic planning that the policy formulation panel lays down, the implementation committee is responsible for ensuring that the desired results are achieved. The implementation committee also ensures that the funds allocated are utilized properly for the ultimate realization of the goals. After and during the policy implementation, the government may conduct researches on how the policy is being implemented. After the policy is implemented, it is terminated and a conclusive report is presented to the government for assessment on which areas should be improved for better realization of the goals. For example, the Southern Australia tourism policy was geared towards the realization of an all inclusive natural tourism (Lin & Suzanne, 2009). The policy formulation panel noticed that there were inadequate natural resources to buffer the tourist attraction sites in the area. The policy also included the provision of job opportunities for the communities living around the areas where the changes were to take place. Through these improvements, the southern Australia region received an increased tourist visitation which in turn increased the national income through foreign exchange and tourist spending (Martin, 2001). In addition, the tourism policy of southwestern Australia was aimed at increasing the protection areas for the animals and plants that were almost drive to extinction. The policy noted that some species of organisms were being depleted and other being deleted fro the surface of the earth (Michael, 2007). These led to the formulation of a policy to increase the protection areas as well as tighten the laws which would protect the species from further depletion. In turn this resulted to an increase in the tourist visitation in the region further increasing the economic gains of the region. As a result the national income increased due to the foreign exchange received and tourist spending. It was reported by Hermione (2003) that ‘the national income was largely increased after the formulation of the southwestern tourism policy due to the diverse natural attraction sites’. As stated by Michael & Geoff (2005) ‘in the western Australia Tourism Policy, the main agenda was creation of a combination of diverse organisms which create a great attraction to visitors’. The western Australian tourism policy recognized that there was a wide range of diverse organisms that were a great attraction to tourists. These resources were not adequately utilized which was bringing less returns than the amount it was able to bring. After the formulation of the policy, there was increased tourist visitation which in turn increased the amount the economic development in the region. Consequently, the national income increased and thus increasing the international dominance of Australia as a tourist destination. The Western Australian policy was to cater for the different diverse attraction sites in the region. This would enable the inhabitants acquire more jobs, access better facilities like hospitals and education centers (Martin, 2001). The Western Australia tourism policy was credited with the increased tourist visitation of the region with also an increased economic development which greatly raised the inhabitants living conditions. Further, the policy would also try to match the supply and demand strategies and issues which were affecting the tourism in the area (Martin, 2001). Conclusion The tourism policy formulation in Australia is date back to 1974 where the issues addressed in the policy were mainly about developing and managing the tourism attraction sites. The policies that were formulated before the year 2003 were mainly focused on the provision of a sustainable environment for the national tourist attraction demands. Through the policy formulation, the ultimate goal is to increase the attractiveness of the destination to match the international demand for better tourism attraction sites. Through the policy formulation, government representatives make coordinated decisions with the other non governmental organizations. The process of proper policy formulation includes the identification of underlying problems, devising and formulation of solutions which are written as a draft policy, passing by the legislature, implementation and termination of the policy after a conclusive plot is undertaken. References Charles C. H. & Brent G. L. 1995. Policy Formulation. Sage Publications Duncan A. G., Maryanne N. Gregory B. and Anna M. 2010. Policy Makers and Their Considerations. Brooks Publishers. Gartner W.C & Daniel P. H. 2000. Australia as Tourism Destination. Fortson’s Publishers Grace U.O 2007. South Western Australia: Attractions and Sites. Sage Publishers Hall D. & William C. W. 1996. The Policy Formulation Process. Brook Publishers Hermione E.R. 2003. Australian Policies: The Makers, Challenges and Processes. Chicago Press John M. L. 2003. The Art of Policy Formulation. A review of Australian Tourism Policy. RTG Publishers. Katrina T. K. & Andrew N. K. 2000. Australian Policies: An Insight to Public Policy Formulation. Sage Publications Lin Y. & Suzanne W. 2009 Australian Tourism attractions. Brook Books. Martin A. 2001. The Global Age: State and Government Policy Formulation. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press Michael C.W & Geoff R. T. 2005. The Policy: Formulation, Implementation and Termination. RTH Publications. Michael C.W 1995. Australia: Policies and Procedures in Tourism Industry. Sage Publications Michael C.W 2007. The Tourism Industry. Brooks Publishers Peter S. H. 1997. The Small Book of Australia: Tourism guide to the major towns. Safe Books Philip H.L. 1994. The Policy Makers of Australia. Sage Publications Read More