UNIT 14 REGIONAL LEVEL PLANNING Structure 14.0 Objectives 14.1 Introduction 14.2 Tourism Regions and Planning 14.3 Establishment of Tourism Regions 14.4 Regional Organisational and Planning Structure 14.5 Regional Planning Through Critical Elements 14.6 Let Us Sum Up 14.7 Clues to Answers 14.0 OBJECTIVES The purpose of this Unit is to: make you familiar with the concept of tourism regions, look into what regional planning encompasses, understand the planning concepts for regions, see how these concepts can be implemented, and understand how regional tourism planning can be incorporated into national level planning. 14.1 INTRODUCTION Regionalisation, as a concept, is a question of definition. Whereas, political borders define sovereign nations, regions can be delineated based on a number of features like geographic, political or ethnic, etc. Often the term region is used in international context also like South-East Asian region or the Himalayan region. In this Unit we discuss the regional level of tourism planning as for one region of a country which could be a state or province, or perhaps an islands group. It is formulated within the broad objectives of the national tourism policy and plan. However, each region is to be planned according to it s particular characteristics and development policies. At the same time, there are certain basic concepts and principles which are generally applicable to regional tourism planning. In many cases these are based on what has proven to be functional and successful in already developed tourism areas. As is always the case in the planning process, imaginative new ideas that emerge out of the specific regional features also need to be considered. 14.2 TOURISM REGIONS AND PLANNING Regional planning for tourism should not be seen as antagonistic to national tourism plans. Regional tourist resources, i.e., attractions, facilities, infrastructure etc. are a part of the national resources and the plan and policy guidelines laid down at the national level ought to be evaluated vis-à-vis regional opportunities, potentials, constraints and limitations. Similarly, regional features get due consideration in a national plan. However, a nation consists of many regions (could be statewise or based on geographic features like hill reg ion, forest areas or islands) and the plan at that level lays down the broad policy framework like development of tourism in: hill regions, islands, desserts, pilgrimage centers and so on. 100
A state (or region) may have any one of these or more attractions. Generally, the state/region plans and develops them keeping in view the broad national policy framework. Tourism regions are logical geographic and planning entities. They are selected based on several considerations containing significant tourist attrac tions and related activities; existing access or potential for developing a regional gateway; an existing integrated internal transportation network or potential for developing such a network; and suitable areas for developing integrated tourist facilities. Their possible interface with national level planning as demonstrated by Roger Doswell is shown in Figure I. National level Policy and strategy Check against national framework Review and comments Final review and comments Regional level Regional concepts Regional plan outline Final version Revised and agreed plan Figure I : National and Regional Level Planning Interaction (Source: Roger Doswell, Tourism, Oxford, 1997, p.192) Regional tourism planning takes into account both, the existing as well as potential avenues of tourism. It should focus on the elements of: Regional policy (like, mission statement, objectives and other general planning features); Regional access transportation network tourist facilities and services; Tourist attractions (types and location); Mapping of tourism development areas; Tourist accommodation (amount, type, and location); Environmental, socio-cultural and economic considerations and impact analysis for the region; Type of tourism to be developed and promoted; Education and training programmes for developing human resources to meet tourism requirements; Facilities and services to be developed; Marketing strategies and promotion programmes; Organisational structures for tourism bodies, tourism legislation, regulations, and investment policies; and Implementation techniques including staging of development, project programming and regional zoning regulations. Let us take an example, (based on these elements) for developing a regional plan for Nagaland. There has not been much tourist flow to this state (the reasons could be varied like political, product weakness or access) of beautiful natural attractions and people with tremendous tourism potential. The planners task here would be, not to modify an existing plan but to create a plan. Possible attractions could be the ethnicity, culture and life style of people; Second World War remains, cemetery, natural environment, etc. The types of tourism that could be developed can be ethnic (say interacting and staying with local population not only in towns but villages), or adventure (trekking, rock climbing). Access by air is upto Dimapur via Calcutta or Guwahati. The plan must consider to link it to more places. For accommodation the plan may include developing paying guest 101
accommodations, tourist lodges and three star hotels. Special guides to be trained along with escorts and hence opening a tourism training institute (within this the input of students be decided keeping in view the required number of guides, say in the next five years). It would be useful to incorporate the establishment of a State tourism department in the plan or if one exists how to strengthen it. Under marketing strategies one may decide to target a particular segment of tourists say up-budget and middle budget categories. In international markets, England could be probed with World War II sites as attractions. In domestic market the same can be promoted as the seat of the independent Indian government under Indian National Army during the World War II period. The plan can also include sensitizing the tourists to the region as well as creating awareness about tourism and its development potential among the local residents. 14.3 ESTABLISHMENT OF TOURISM REGIONS At the national level, an important planning concept is designation and establishment of tourism development regions that contain one or more clusters of tourist attractions and tourist facility areas, all well linked through a regional transportation network. As mentioned earlier, tourism regions are logical geographic and planning entities that are selected on the basis of significant tourist attractions, activities, transportation network and suitable tourist facilities. Administratively, it should be possible to plan the regions on an integrated basis, and if the situation demands so it may be done at a cooperative level. The need for cooperative level planning emerges because tourism regions may extend across state, provincial or even international boundaries. At the regional level, with the exception of certain types of small scale tourism development, a basic principle is the concentration of tourist facilities and services in specific areas, typically in the form of integrated resorts, resort towns or urban tourism centres. As opposed to dispersed development, concentration offers several advantages like: opportunity for integrated planning and application of development, design and environmental contexts; more efficient provision of transportation access and other infrastructure; convenience of tourist facilities and services being in proximity; capability of concentrated development to support more specialised facilities and services; and containment of any negative environmental and socio-cultural impacts in specific areas. Based on accumulated experience, the concentration principle is now being widely applied in tourism areas throughout the world. Dispersed development is being discouraged in many places because of the problems generated by the scattering of facilities. Gunn (1988) lists twelve essential elements required for regional tourism development: 1) Natural Resources 2) Cultural Resources 3) Viable Service Communities 4) Access 5) Markets 6) Favourable Development Image 7) Local Acceptance of Tourism 8) Favourable Government Controls 9) Available Land for Development 10) Availability of Entrepreneurs and Managers 102
11) Availability of Labour 12) Availability of Finance It is also vital to identify the destination zone potential and assess the regions capability to compete with other tourist regions. 14.4 REGIONAL ORGANISATIONAL AND PLANNING STRUCTURE Almost any area containing the elements mentioned earlier can be formed into a tourism region. Reasons for regional organisation and planning include: 1) Combining elements necessary for development into a holistic package: Systems work best when they are well organised and managed. Combining various political entities into a tourism region does not guarantee an efficient organisational structure, but it does provide the framework for one to develop. 2) Increasing marketing effectiveness: Marketing cooperatives, such as, used for agricultural products, combine the financial resources of many small operators, allowing the development of marketing programmes that would not be independently possible. Even if a formal marketing cooperative is not formed, the principle of cooperating to increase marketing effectiveness remains valid and can be accomplished in different ways. 3) Identifying and protecting symbiotic relationships: Many small communities providing tourism services rely on an attraction base found in other communities or areas. Conversely, areas with attractions may need tourism services located elsewhere. Divergent programmes of development may adversely affect each area s ability to become an integral part of a regional tourism industry. 4) Image development: In many situations it is difficult to develop a unique or independent tourism image for small communities or areas. Regional planning can assist in dev eloping an image which effectively represents all the features in the region. 5) Partnerships: Partnerships arise whenever one or more independent organisations agree to work towards a common goal. Regional planning helps the formation of such partnerships to facilitate the potential for cooperation. 6) Establishing an identity: Regionalisation and planning for the region can establish a tourism identity for communities and their residents within a region. 7) Assisting public/private cooperation: Regions comprise many different entities. Public agencies and private operators have an easier time cooperating and working toward common goals when they are all active members of the same organisation. The advantages listed above, along with the resources required for successful tourism development, reinforce the need for forming some type of regional organisation dedicated to tourism planning. 14.5 REGIONAL PLANNING THROUGH CRITICAL ELEMENTS Let us now understand how regions are earmarked for planning. Assistance is sometimes provided at the national level in identifying areas of the country which have the resources and infrastructure in place for development. This process of regionalisation is called the delineation of development zones. It requires an assessment of resources needed for initiating development. While it does not require any complex statistical analysis, it does not preclude that type of input. Delineating development zones is more likely in developing countries where the National Tourism Organisation often assumes a more extensive and proactive role in development. Regional planning is often considered synonymous to development zones which in some plans are also referred to as Special Development Areas (SAD s). Let us now see what they are. 103
The term development zone is not uniformly understood in tourism planning. In much of the literature, development zones are linked with marketing and community development (Kaiser & Mebler, 1978; Getz, 1991). Gunn (1982) identified several terms used interchangeably to describe development zones: administrative zone, marketing zone and destination zone. Blank (1989) defines a development zone as: 1) A recognisable, definable area with appeal to tourism, 2) Containing a tourism industry generating sufficient sales to deserve treatment as a factor in the local economy. 3) Having coherence in geography and among it s tourist related features. 4) Having political integrity, allowing for effective communications and decisions to be made. Gunn s definition is simpler. As he defines a tourism development zone as a generalised area possessing some special tourism development qualities unlike other areas. Thus, identification of regional or development zone is the first step towards regional planning. Gunn has identified four essential elements for planning a development zone: attraction clusters, community, a circulation corridor and linkage corridors. i) Attraction Clusters: An attraction cluster consists of resources available for touristic consumption. They can be natural-resource-based, cultural or manmade structures. Regional planning must take into account these attraction clusters. ii) Community: A community can be part of the attraction base, but it s primary function is to provide services demanded by the tourists. An area can be endowed with an attractive resource base but still suffer from lack of tourism. Accommodation facilities, restaurants and retail shops are few of the services necessary for a community to function as a destination area. These services have to be planned otherwise the result would be short lengths of stay, lower spending levels and limited opportunities for ancillary attraction development. iii) Circulation Corridor: Moving people into and out of an area with minimum disruption is a necessary component of a deve lopment zone. A primary development zone is usually serviced by more than one type of transportation system. Fly/drive combinations are being planned increasingly. iv) Linkage Corridor: Linkage corridors connect the attraction clusters to the community centres. Linkages may take the form of a transportation system dedicated to moving people between attractions and the community centres or they may be more promotionally oriented to make tourists aware of the various attractions within an area. If all four elements exist within an area, it is designated as a primary development zone which then has to be planned keeping sustainable tourism as the objective. Examples of destination zones that can be cited are the Delhi-Agra-Jaipur Golden triangle which cuts across state boundaries or the Bhubhneshwar -Puri-Konark Golden triangle in Orissa state, i.e., within a state. Check Your Progress 1) What do you understand by a tourism region? 104
2) What aspects would you cover in a regional tourism plan? 14.6 LET US SUM UP The planned approach to developing tourism at the regional level is now widely adopted as a principle. Although the implementation of the policies and plans is still weak in many areas, it is gradually gaining ground. This Unit described the features for identifying tourism regions and the various aspects that ought to be covered in a regional plan. Regional planning is complimentary to national planning. Plans should not be static. Rather tourism plans need to be revised based on present day circumstances and likely future trends. More so, for regions because regional plans will get disrupted sooner than national plans. 14.7 CLUES TO ANSWERS Check Your Progress 1) Mention the various entities in this regard. See Secs. 14.2 and 14.3. 2) Write a comprehensive answer keep in view Secs. 14.3 to 14.5. 105