What Is Strategic Tourism Planning?

By Alice Nichols

Strategic tourism planning is a process that helps destinations to develop their long-term plans and objectives for tourism. It is an essential tool for ensuring that the benefits of tourism are maximized while minimizing any negative impacts. In this article, we will look at what strategic tourism planning is and why it is important.

What Is Strategic Tourism Planning?

Strategic tourism planning involves the development of a long-term plan for a destination, which outlines how it intends to develop its tourism industry. The plan should consider the current state of the destination’s tourism industry, its strengths and weaknesses, and any opportunities or threats that may arise in the future.

The plan should also include specific Targets, such as growth in visitor numbers or revenue, as well as strategies for achieving these Targets. These strategies may include marketing campaigns, infrastructure development, or collaboration with other destinations.

Why Is Strategic Tourism Planning Important?

Strategic tourism planning is important because it helps to ensure that the benefits of tourism are maximized while minimizing any negative impacts. By developing a long-term plan for their tourism industry, destinations can ensure that they are able to manage visitor numbers effectively and provide high-quality experiences for tourists.

Strategic planning also helps destinations to identify potential opportunities for growth and development within their tourism industry. This may involve investing in new infrastructure or attractions to attract more visitors or developing new markets by Targeting different types of tourists.

Another benefit of strategic planning is that it can help destinations to manage any negative impacts of tourism. For example, if a destination becomes overcrowded with tourists during peak season, strategic planning can help to identify ways of managing visitor numbers or spreading them out throughout the year.

The Key Elements Of Strategic Tourism Planning

There are several key elements involved in strategic tourism planning. These include:

  • Situation Analysis: This involves analyzing the current state of the destination’s tourism industry, including visitor numbers, revenue, and any strengths or weaknesses.
  • Market Analysis: This involves analyzing the Target market for the destination’s tourism industry, including trends and preferences among different types of tourists.
  • SWOT Analysis: This involves identifying the destination’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in relation to its tourism industry.
  • Objectives: This involves setting specific Targets for the destination’s tourism industry, such as growth in visitor numbers or revenue.
  • Strategies: This involves identifying specific strategies for achieving the objectives set out in the plan, such as marketing campaigns or infrastructure development.
  • Action Plan: This involves outlining a detailed plan of action for implementing the strategies identified in the plan.
  • Evaluation: This involves monitoring and evaluating the success of the plan over time and making adjustments as necessary.

The Benefits Of Strategic Tourism Planning

There are several benefits to strategic tourism planning. These include:

  • Better Management Of Visitor Numbers: By developing a long-term plan for their tourism industry, destinations can ensure that they are able to manage visitor numbers effectively and provide high-quality experiences for tourists.
  • Growth And Development Opportunities: Strategic planning can help destinations to identify potential opportunities for growth and development within their tourism industry.
  • Negative Impact Management: By identifying potential negative impacts of tourism in advance, destinations can develop strategies to manage these impacts effectively.
  • Better Collaboration And Coordination: Strategic planning can help to facilitate better collaboration and coordination between different stakeholders in the tourism industry, including government, businesses, and residents.

Conclusion

In conclusion, strategic tourism planning is an essential tool for destinations that want to develop their tourism industry in a sustainable and responsible way. Strategic planning can also help destinations to identify potential opportunities for growth and development within their tourism industry, as well as manage any negative impacts of tourism.