Tourist Destination: Planning and Development

Contributions of destination of development models to destination planning

            Tourism is one of the recreational practices an individual undertakes. People who exercise tourism are called tourists. According to  (2005) due to the fact that tourism is now one of the most popular recreational activity of people all over the world, in the year 2004 around 763 million tourists arrive in various parts of the world. Tourism plays a vital and crucial role in the economy of any country because the income and profit that is being obtained by the utilisation of products and services of the tourists will generate taxes which can be levied to the government. In addition, tourism provides employment and aids in the development of the economy of the nation. According to  (2000) tourism is not just a recreational and decorative activity but instead tourism correlates centrally to the modernity in numerous dimensions such as politics, moral, economical and technological.

            This paper examines the various models of development destination. Models such as the Tourist Area Life Cycle, Resort Development Spectrum, and Touristisation model will be discussed. In addition the strengths and weaknesses of the three models will also be discussed in this paper. In the Tourist Area Life Cycle (TALC) Model the stages will be examined. The TALC model will be illustrated using the Danxia Mountain in People’s Republic of China wherein the development stages are highlighted. The measures that the tourism authority has taken up in the product re-organisation, transformation, rejuvenation, and specialisation of the Danxia Mountain in People’s Republic of China will also be discussed. Finally, a conclusion will be made at the end of this paper.

            Hong Kong is one of the most popular destinations in the world and the tourism industry is one of the most important aspects in the economy of Hong Kong.  According to the  (2007) the industry held another record last 2006 in which more than 25 million tourists arrived in Hong Kong. In order to maintain the number of tourist arrivals in Hong Kong, the tourism department plans, develops, and audits the possible competitive destination. Tourism planning, according to  (1985) is the procedure which is concerned with expecting and regulating the transformation in the system in order to enhance the methodical development benefits from the society, economy, and the environment. In planning, especially, in the industry such as tourism the stakeholder plays an important role. A stakeholder is an individual or group of individuals that is changed negatively by the causes and the consequences of the issues and decisions (1992). 

            According to (2002) there are two approaches in tourism destination planning and these are project planning approach and organic planning approach. In project planning approach the steps include determining the sponsorship of the projects, and also the leaders behind it. The tourism authority must set goals that must be attained within the timeframe. Examine systematically the strengths and weaknesses of the planned project. Determine the purpose of the project and identify the best strategy to utilise. Designate the priorities and responsibilities of the individuals involved in the project. Excite the people involved and guide the development of the plan, and then monitor the development and review the feedback Organic planning process on the other hand includes the following steps the determination of the problem and opportunities within the planned project, establishment of goals that must be attainable, analysis of the area of the project, as well as, the entire location of the project, detailed studies on the project and are, planning the concepts of the business, as well as, the options involved, development of the guidelines, creating detailed designs of the project, implementation of the designs and the project, and management and evaluation of the project.

            In developing the destinations in any country a destination development model is important. There are three types of destination development models and these are the Tourist Area Life Cycle, the Resort Development Model, and the Touristization Model.

Resort Development Spectrum- according to  (2000) it is a destination development model wherein the tourist destination is usually a commercial area wherein the products and the services are produced and sold to the tourists. These commercial facilities entice the existing and new markets in which it develops new products and facilities.

            In addition, according to Predeaux the capacity of a tourist destination to expand will be determined by the infrastructure of the area if the infrastructure is poor then most probably there would be fewer financiers that will invest in the area, transport is another aspect in expansion, if the area is not accessible to transportation, inviting investors to expand will be hard, ecological constraints such as storms and earthquakes could also hamper the expansion of the tourist destination, the physical constraints such as the political stability in the area, and the attractiveness of the resources, if the destination could be an attractive destination especially for investors, then there is a probability that they would invest in order to expand the area.

            Resort Development Spectrum has its own share of strengths and weaknesses. According to  (2003) the advantage of the resort development spectrum model is that it is multidimensional and based on an understanding of the demand-side response to the market that operates in resorts and integrates the elements of Fordist and post- Fordist interpretation of the production and demand. Moreover, the model can be a possible candidate for planning tool in predicting the patterns of resort development in the future. However, there are disadvantages of the model, according  (2004) the disadvantages of disadvantages and limitations of the model are over-commercialization and a poor image most resorts or tourist destinations are overly commercialised and tends to be over-crowded which can lead to a negative perception of the place by the existing and possible tourists, another is the deterioration of the physical environment due to mass tourism. It includes the loss of the natural habitats of the plants and animals and increase in air, water, and noise pollution and even damage to the historic places, and then the lack of investment because of over-dependence of the package holiday which is characterised by high volume and low yield.  

Touristisation Model- according to  (1983) this destination development model focuses on developing the rural area for tourism. Young enumerated the stages in the touristisation model and these are:

• Early traditional


• Late traditional


• Initial tourism in which the rural areas are explored to determine potential tourist destinations.


• Early tourism in this stage the government as well as the government and private sectors are involved in planning and developing the destination.


• Expanding tourism in this stage the plans are created and put into action.


• Consolidation stage in which all of the development projects and ideas are united.

Touristization model juts like other destination development models have strengths and weaknesses. One of the strength of the model is that it helps the people, particularly of low-income status living in a possible tourist destination to gain extra income. Areas that are good locations for tourist destination can be developed in order to attract possible tourists in the area. However, the model has its share of disadvantages; according to  (2003) utilisation of touristisation model will slowly lose the identity of the place, in traditional societies the quick leap from the traditional way of earning to a faster one through tourism seemed to be immoral and almost indecent. In addition, the changes that occur in traditional villages would relate directly to the differences in the aesthetic, ethical and economic values between those proposing the tourism development and the people that want to retain their traditional way of living. In addition, the economic advantages relies upon the people living in the area whether they will accept the drastic changes in their way of living, culture and even personal identities.

Tourist Area Life Cycle- according to (1980) this destination development model is utilised for the evolution of a destination. In addition, Butler (2006) TALC model has proven to be an important aspect in articulating the evolution of the area for tourism, at the same time, verifying the imitation of the predictable pattern of the stages of the lifecycle such as introduction, expansion, consolidation, and contraction which is related to all types of organisation may it be biological, genetic, cognitive, cultural ecological, or economic.

            From the three destination development model, the most preferred especially by developed nations is the Tourist Area Life Cycle, due to the fact that the model goes with the flow in the changes and preferences of the customers. Tourism is also a business, and businesses constantly evolved in order to keep up with the trends and the competition with others. Although Tourism Area Life Cycle is often favoured by a number of sectors in the society particularly the tourism government authorities, there are still disadvantages of the said model. According to  TALC Model has its strengths, and one of those is it is useful in interpreting and explaining the past and can be utilised as one of the prime attractions in the tourist destinations. In addition, in the context of fully-developed destinations the TALC model could be utilised in a strategic manner to instigate action to prevent the decline. Moreover, strength of the model according to  (2006) is that it is a useful tool for understanding the development patterns of mass tourism destinations.  The disadvantages of the model were discussed by some critics of the model and one of those is Agarwal (1994) he discussed that the model should have alternative and additional stages after the stagnation stage of the original model. In addition, according to Baum the original TALC Model does not acknowledge the probability of having further stages which could take place as associated alternatives to either decline or rejuvenation. Another limitation of the model, according to Morais et al is that the TALC Model is not applicable model of tourism particularly in the developing world wherein the appropriate model is the ethnic tourism.

            The stages in the Tourist Area Life Cycle, according to Prideaux are the following:

• Exploration- an area usually not yet developed is explored in order to determine if it has the potential of being a tourist destination. The task force hired by the tourism authority and the consultants are the individuals involved in the exploration of new places.


• Involvement- once the place is explored and has been considered as a possible tourist destination, the relevant individuals and group of individuals are going to discuss about the development plans in the area, concerns such as in the environment will be tackled. 


• Development- once the key organisations and individuals have finished discussing and have come in to terms then the development of the project will begin.


• Consolidation- the elements that are important in developing a new tourist destination are merged in order to perform a related function. Example while the area is being developed, the government as well as the owners of the businesses in the area will promote the destination to attract more consumers. 


• Stagnation- it is the period when the tourist destination has little or nor growth at all. Stagnation usually happens if a problem occurred such as damaged of property due to calamities like earthquakes and storms, or even outbreak of a disease such as SARS. The income generated from the tourist destination declines during this particular stage.


• Decline to Rejuvenation- if the tourism authority, as well as, the owners are keen in gaining more profit they would look for ways to restore the vitality and vibrancy of the tourist destination. An example is during the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong wherein the tourism industry was greatly affected and a number of tourists have withdrawn their visits, however after that stagnation Hong Kong was able to recuperate from the financial losses and once again became one of the premier destinations in Asia. 

According to  () tourism area life cycle model is simple, plausible, and obtains interesting outcomes, it is the first analytical framework that incorporates the features of demand and supply of the customers.

The Application of Tourist Life Cycle Model in Danxia Mountain

            According to Danxia Mountain is one of the most famous geological parks in the People’s Republic of China and it is located in the northern part of the Guangdong Province. The area is approximately 180 square kilometres. The usual features of the mountain are its red hills and stones.

Exploration- the place has not been explored by the tourism authority for numerous years. The tourism authority was able to examine the area and determine possible tourist attractions which are the temples in Guangdong that were built 1200 years ago. 

Involvement- upon determining that the area could be a possible tourist attraction the group of individuals that were involved created plans to develop the area. The development of a new attraction was discussed and around 3.5 square kilometres of Danxia Mountain was opened for tourists.

Development- even though it is not a major attraction, a number of people have visits Danxia Mountain already, however the development of the mountain began in 1970s; this is he development stage of the Mountain.

Consolidation- Danxia Mountain was successful in attracting tourists, and it became an important pilgrimage destination for the Buddhists, at the same time, the area became popular for its scenic view of the sunrise, as well as, the sights that the mountain beholds.

Stagnation- however the tourist arrivals in Danxia Mountain have declined due to mismanagement and a tougher competition from other resorts in China, as well as, in Asia. The number of tourists became stagnant until the tourists that visits the place declined. The tourism authority still made efforts to promote the destination, but still it was not enough to lure the visitors.

Decline to Rejuvenation- the tourist influx in Danxi Mountain has immensely decreased despite of the efforts made by various sectors in the industry. In order to revive the splendour of the Danxia Mountain Prof.  was invited to work in reviving the mountain. The main reason for the decline of tourist arrivals was the poor management of the area, and in order to solve that problem the image of Danxia Mountain will be enhanced and the resort will open new attractions. After careful deliberation on the situation, the team of Prof. Bao selected YangYuan Stone as the main feature of the resort, aside from the new attractions it offered. And in the year 1995 the Danxia Mountain received tourists again and the outcome has been positive because the arrivals have been increasing since it opened again.  

            In addition, according to Butler the first application of the Tourist Life Cycle Model in China was in Danxia Mountain in 1993, wherein Professor Jigang Bao found out that the mountain was in its Stagnation Stage and the best way to attract new tourists is to develop new tourist attractions, and after deliberating the factors associated with developing new attractions the Yangyuan Stone Scenic Spot was selected as the new attraction afterwards it was developed. Danxia Mountain was quickly rejuvenated after selecting and adding new tourist spots in the area.

            The successful utilisation of the Tourist Area Life Cycle model in the planning and developing of Danxia Mountain exhibited that the appropriate analysis of the area could determine the proper ways in rejuvenating and reviving the tourist destination.

Conclusion

            Tourism is one of the pillars in the economy of Hong Kong and it is an important source of income for the nation. Hong Kong has already faced a number of challenges in their tourism industry; it has experienced ups and downs due to a number of reasons. But despite of those, Hong Kong remained one of the premier tourist destinations not just in the Asia Pacific Region but in the whole world as well. In order to keep and even increase the amount of tourist arrivals in the nation, the tourism authority of Hong Kong must utilised various forms of destination development, they can use any of the three models to promote and maintain the tourist destinations. In order to ensure that the developments of new destinations, as well as the existing destinations are tourist and investor friendly, the tourism authority should monitor the new developments in the area. Aside from monitoring the developments in the tourist destinations, the authorities, as well as, the people involved such as the investors and the public should identify the measures that would improve the situation, and alleviate the problems even if it is small. Through this, the authorities could be able to prevent the catastrophes from emerging. TALC model is the first tourism framework developed and aside from the fact that it is a model for destination development it could also be utilised in monitoring the evolution of the area, TALC could be able to determine whether the area is already stagnant and authorities will be able to prevent the decline of the area. TALC is also an appropriate tool for longer tourism plans because the stages are created for a longer span of time. The authorities could already visualise future problems and they could create risk measures to counter those probable problems.

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