10.1 Introduction
If we now think about the actual planning of how to approach tourists and develop your share of the market, then we are getting close to the policies and strategies that were mentioned in the previous module.
However, it is perhaps best to see those policies as generally coming from higher up the industry ladder, whereas with this we are talking about the actual nitty gritty of getting your name out there in front of those individuals that matter.
10.2 The Basics of Tourism Planning and Development
At this point we need to cover the basics of tourism planning and development for those individuals that are likely to move into this part of the industry.
As you can imagine, the planning and development of any business related to the tourism industry are going to play a key role in it being a success and no matter which level you are working at within that business there is no doubt that you have to be able to understand what the plans are and what the potential future holds.
We incorporated aspects of the approach to tourism planning in the previous module regarding the implementation of policies, but in this module we will look more at the planning and development of the goals and plans so that you are able to get to where you want to be.
In order to do this, we have to spend some time getting to grips with what we mean by the development of tourism.
There should be a series of goals that are to be aimed for including the following:
Increase visitor satisfaction.
Any part of the tourism industry must be able to provide absolute customer satisfaction no matter the part of the industry that you are working in. The development of the business, attraction, or location should ultimately lead to an increase in visitor satisfaction and the planning should be able to indicate how that is going to work.
Improve the business and the economy.
As part of the development, there should always be the target that it will also ultimately improve both the business as well as the money that is coming into the business over the course of the year. Exactly how that is done will depend on what your target is, or how high the target is going to be, but it stands to reason that any plan that allows the business to develop in a positive manner should always have the end goal of increasing the number of customers.
Improve the local community.
Another aspect of the travel and tourism industry that is often overlooked is the way in which the development of any kind of location or destination should also attempt to improve the local community to the best of its ability. This is because a destination or business related to this industry will also often have to include a number of other businesses that supply or provide some kind of product or service that makes the entire thing tick along.
Any development or improvement must also seek to improve those businesses that rely on the tourism industry for everything to work as smoothly as possible. However, the planning and development of the tourism industry and businesses related to it are also closely linked to trends that occur at any given time.
You should take these following points into consideration:
Travel is now a part of everyday life.
In the past it used to be the case that travel was restricted to those that were rich and were able to spend months at a time checking out other parts of the world. However, due to the lower costs of travelling that is no longer the case. Now, people do not even feel strange flying to the other end of the country just for a day out or visiting a tourist attraction. Travelling and moving around has now become commonplace and your plans should reflect this change.
People are becoming more and more interested in other cultures.
Thanks to the Internet, people are becoming more interested in other cultures as they have been able to spend time checking them out online and like what they see. They now feel that they want to go and check out those sights and sounds for real rather than just through a computer monitor. In the past, travel shows made things appear to be out of the reach of the everyday person, but that is no longer the case. With this increase in awareness of other cultures there is also an increase in the number of people that are seeking something different when they travel and, once again, your plans have to reflect this.
People are looking for new destinations.
It is also the case that as the world seems to be getting smaller and smaller that people are really on the lookout for new destinations. Yes, the usual suspects are always going to be popular, but there has certainly been a rise in the number of people that are looking for something out of the ordinary and if you are involved in a part of the industry that is able to provide this to people, then your plans should certainly focus along those lines.
People want to partake in special interests.
A final change and trend that is currently hot in the travel industry are those individuals that are looking at travelling in order to take part in some kind of special interest. They are very aware of what they want to do and what they expect when they get there which, to a certain extent, makes your job a bit easier. However, on the flip side you need to be on the ball if you are the provider rather than the individual that gets them there in the first place.
As a direct result of these changes it is fair to say that the planning and development of the tourism industry is something that is ever-changing. Being on top of this is essential if your plans are to be a success and of course you need to understand the role that you have to play.
FACT
A thriving tourism industry creates beautiful places to visit all-round the country, which also improves the quality of life for everyone who lives near them as well.
Source: Gov.uk
10.3 Your Role in the Process
So, what would be your role in this particular process?
Well, clearly this depends on where you are in the industry and the level you are working at as those at the ground level will have certain requirements on them, which will be different to those that work as supervisors or in managerial positions.
Keeping this in mind, we can look at a number of the key points regarding the role you are going to play in both positions. Do remember that the most important part that you will be involved in is the implementation of the plans with these points being central to that.
Be aware of the approach that has to be taken.
The approach to planning and development of a tourism strategy is important, although not as important as it is for you to be aware of what is expected of you. Is the plan to involve the community more? Is the plan to focus on building the economy more? Understanding where you are heading with the plan and the steps that need to be taken will make it easier for you to understand the exact role that you need to be playing.
Being able to take action on the plans.
No matter which level you work at within the industry, there will be a point where you have to be able to take action on the plans that are being put into place.
For example
If you are typically involved in dealing with customers on a day-to-day basis, then how do the plans affect that? Have you to change the way in which you deal with them? Do you need to sell and promote different things to them? If you work more on the logistics side, then what do the plans say about that aspect?
Giving feedback on plans and development.
Of course, there is also the issue of you having to provide feedback on the plans and development because the people behind them are often not going to be on the front line all of the time. A vital part of the process is going to be giving feedback on how things are going and whether or not the targets are being met. This is something that you will need to be involved in as it will determine if things have to be changed at any point.
Remember, the entire aim of planning and development is to provide tourists with a better experience no matter which part of the process you are involved in.
In other words, there are three main areas that you have to think about when dealing with tourism planning and development along with your role in the process. You must understand what is being asked of you, or the destination or attraction, followed by being able to put those plans into action in the correct manner, and finally giving feedback on whether or not it is working. Each part is important simply because of the way in which it forms part of the bigger picture.
10.4 Dealing with Issues and Identifying Problems within the Market
When there are plans in place there will always be the possibility of there being problems or issues that you will have to deal with in order to continue to provide an adequate service to your customers or clients.
Obviously the issues and problems can vary depending on the market sector and as with other modules and sub-sections within the modules, it is impossible for us to cover each and every problem at this juncture.
However, once again we can look at the main problems that do tend to crop up on a regular basis no matter where you are operating.
Lack of understanding of the market.
One of the major problems is a general lack of understanding of the market.Who are you currently attracting and how does that compare with whom you would like to target? Are you even targeting the correct people in the first place? Is the market you are dealing with so competitive that you are unable to really gain a foothold? Remember that understanding who you are trying to draw to your destination or attraction will have a major bearing on your marketing so a lack of understanding of the market is a major problem.
A failure to understand economics.
By mentioning a failure to understand economics, we mean a failure to take stock of what is happening with the economy in general. Remember that even though travel and tourism is now cheaper than before, with more options available, that it is still tied in with what people are earning and how the economy is doing.
For example
When there was a recession, there were certainly fewer exotic holidays being booked with an increase in the number of people staying within the country. Domestic tourism saw a boost even though people were still able to go to the Med whenever they wanted to thanks to budget airlines. However, even the fact that budget airlines were doing so well was another indicator of the downturn in the economy.
When it comes to tourism planning and development it is essential that you understand the kind of money that people have available to then work this in with how you see your future. If you are thinking about investing a considerable amount of money into developing the attraction and yet people do not have the spare cash to go there, is it really going to be such a good idea? People need to believe that they are getting value for their money and your plans or development ideas should reflect this at every given opportunity.
Understanding accessibility.
When it comes to developing a tourist attraction, or business, then there is a very real need for you to understand accessibility as this will determine whether or not it is worth the investment in either monetary terms or at least with your time. Are people going to be able to get to you? Is it going to be worth their time and effort?
Understanding marketing and its impact.
We covered marketing in an earlier module, but the way in which it has an impact on the planning and development aspect cannot be overlooked. Is the correct marketing in place that will then be able to really push the plans forward? Both have to work in tandem with one another simply because there is no point in you putting effort into developing policies and plans if you are unable to tell people that you exist in the first place.
So, those are some important points to keep in mind, but how do you deal with those issues? Clearly, being aware of this will allow you to further your own career.
10.5 Turning Things Around to Your Advantage
So, what do you do when it comes to the planning and development of a tourist location or attraction?
How do you manage to turn things around to your advantage and do so in order to provide the best possible service to your customers or clients?
In actual fact, it is a lot easier than you think.
Identify the issue as early as possible.
Obviously the first thing that you have to do in order to turn things around to your advantage is to better understand the issues in the first place. What are the aims of the development and where can problems come into play? It is impossible to rectify things when you are unaware of what the problem is.
Study the policy and plans.
Of course the next step is to understand the policy and the target that you are aiming for with the business. You need to be aware of what you have to do, or what is expected of you depending on the level that you are working at. If you are unsure, then clearly you need to get to the root of the plan before you are ever going to be able to provide the perfect service and products to the customers.
Understand your position and how to change it.
Plans will generally be created by an individual that is in a higher position than you, unless you are running your own business. When it comes to the development of tourism and the services or products on offer, you need to understand your position and the limitations that have been placed upon you so that you can deal with the issues and problems that you face.
For example
If the plan is related to developing the visitor experience, then you need to understand the exact role you play in the visitor experience part. Are you more behind the scenes? If so, you can then focus on making sure things run smoothly in an admin role. Are you there on the frontline and dealing with the public? If so, you have to make sure that you are able to provide them with the kind of experience they want.
Preparing yourself for a hard time.
Remember that it is going to be impossible for you to provide the perfect experience for every single customer that you come across.
Tourists come from different locations and cultures so they are each going to anticipate a certain experience. Plans should of course try to take this into account, but that is not always possible and how you handle it should form an important part of your entire approach. Does the plan cover as many eventualities as possible? Does it include what to do when you do come across those people that expect something different? Preparing yourself for a difficult time will often then lead to you being able to provide a better tourist experience.
In short, to turn things to your advantage we recommend the following key points.
*Remember the market and who you are targeting.
*Remember to identify any problems early on to then tackle them.
*Remember to understand how you can directly influence the issue.
*Remember that it is impossible to please everybody but you can certainly please the majority.
No tourist attraction is going to be perfect and it is crazy to even think that this is a possibility. The plans and development that you are looking at putting into place should, by all means, improve the way in which tourists experience the destination, attraction, or company but there will always be issues.
Turning things to your advantage has to involve the acceptance of learning from your mistakes and, at the same time, realising that mistakes are going to happen. Tourists can be rather particular about what they are seeking from a destination and no amount of planning can convert everybody into a believer.
MODULE SUMMARY
In this module we have focused on the concept of tourism planning and development and the role that you will often play in this part of the industry. As we stated earlier, there is no way we can cover every aspect of the development of each location or service that is provided to customers on a daily basis. However, what we have shown is not only how the planning aspect works, but how to make sure that everything goes to your advantage.
.svg)
