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2.2 KEY PLAYERS IN TOURISM POLICY, PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT
2.2.4 The Tourism Industry
The tourism industry is not easy to define as it is complex and has many dimensions. The tourism industry is so large and diverse that some tourism companies would not see themselves as part of the same industry (Middleton &
Hawkins, 1998). As such, the tourism industry is often blamed for causing damage to destinations and showing little willingness to be involved in planning for long-term viability of tourism development (Mason & Mowforth, 1995).
However the complexity of the tourism industry makes it difficult to point a finger of blame directly at the cause of problems. Nevertheless, the tourism industry has been accused of (Swarbrooke, 1999:104):
Being mainly concerned with short-term profit, rather than long-term sustainability.
Exploiting the environment and local populations rather than conserving them.
Being relatively fickle and showing little commitment to particular destinations.
Not doing enough to raise tourist awareness of issues such as sustainability.
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Only getting on the sustainability wagon when it is likely to achieve good publicity.
Being increasingly owned and controlled by large trans-national corporations, who have little regard for individual destinations.
Few operators, until very recently, have been concerned with the impacts of taking tourists to a destination, on the environment or society of the destination.
However, some tourism companies have become involved in these initiatives and this suggests growing awareness and concern with such impacts. These include recycling, promoting ‘green’ holidays, providing information on environmentally sound activities for tourists and donating money to local charities. Some operators are also using guides selected from local communities and are involved in partnerships with local communities. It would however appear that most industry action to date has been designed to indicate that the industry can regulate itself. One interpretation of this could be that industry does not wish for external control and regulation and hence voluntary self-regulation is preferable (Mason & Mowforth, 1996; Swarbrooke, 1999). Another interpretation is that industry is aware that regulation will eventually come and that it wishes to appear proactive rather that reactive, as this may soften the blow of external regulation (Mason & Mowforth, 1996), some industry bodies have taken voluntary self- regulation to the point of designing and implementing voluntary codes of conduct.
The tourism industry has a number of pressure groups. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) is such a pressure group and receives support from major tourism companies (Mason, 2008:131). The WTTC lobbies on behalf of the tourism industry. Interest groups, also called pressure groups, range from powerful national associations to small local organisations, for example a local tourism body (O’Donnell 1990:129). There are also a number of professional bodies that represent the tourism industry. Similarly, the other two sectors important in terms of tourism planning and management are voluntary sector organisations and the media. The media has potentially a key role in tourism planning and management issues. Much of the media deals directly or indirectly with tourism. The media is displaying new interest in green issues, and new anti- travel, anti-tourism pressure groups have developed (Gössling et al, 2009:27).
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The voluntary sector is made up of a number of different groups. These include pressure groups, voluntary trusts, some of which have charitable status, and industry associations. Pressure groups can be further subdivided into those, whose membership is primarily public and those, whose membership come largely from within the tourism industry (Mason, 2008:130). There are also significant numbers of travel-related magazines and radio programmes and much travel information is available on the World Wide Web. Many types of television programmes and magazines have an indirect travel component; those focusing on wildlife and natural history are within this category. The media has even created tourist attractions. Given the complex and under-nuanced relationship between climate change, tourism and media and the simplistic ways in which lobbying groups on both sides marshal their arguments, it is self-evident that more research is needed (Jones & Phillips, 2011:96). It is therefore imperative for all forms of media to report responsibly about tourism issues and provide critical assessment of tourism industry activities to ensure that the industry practices sound tourism management and in fear negative publicity they may attract if they conduct their activities irresponsibly (Mason, 2008:130).
In relation to all these four role-players discussed above, it is appropriate to refer to Veal (1992:4) who argues that an overall policy and planning framework for viewing the leisure and tourism delivery system has to be guided by five elements:
a) People – individuals/ households/ communities.
b) Organisations – public and private sector organisations involved in the provision of leisure and tourism facilities and services, including voluntary organisations, commercial companies and governments and their agencies, including elected and appointed members and senior and strategic management personnel.
c) Leisure and tourism services or facilities – including complement of line managers and front-line staff.
d) The environment – the natural and built physical environment.
e) The processes – which link these various elements, including planning, marketing, political processes and the use, purchase and consumption of services, and which take place along socio-political, managerial and socio-economic linkages.
35 2.3 TOURISM POLICY
The starting point for the tourism planning process in any country should be the development of a national tourism policy. Before developing the policy, goals for tourism have to be set and these should be in conformity with the broad national interest and complement the specific objectives of national, state and local bodies in related fields, Sinha (2005). According to Fennel (1999) all countries should endeavour to create tourism policy to guide their planning, management, and development of tourism consistently throughout a region and as a means by which to use resources in a wise and efficient manner. Fennel (1999) further states that the sector most responsible for the impetus to create policy is government, in either a passive manner, such as in introducing a legislation which is not intended to discriminate in favour of the tourism industry, or an active manner, where government takes action to discriminate in favour of the tourism managerially, through the creation of objectives and legislative support, and/ or developmentally in the establishment and operation of tourism facilities. The context in which tourism policy is considered in this study is at government level in providing the conceptual framework for the planning, coordination, development and management of tourism in KwaZulu-Natal, and the plethora of organisations and agencies involved in the provision of tourism services, and the planning, development or establishment, and management of these coordinating structures.
The national tourism White Paper on Development and Promotion of Tourism in South Africa (DEAT, 1996), reciprocated by the White Paper on Development and Promotion of Tourism in KwaZulu-Natal in 2008 (KZN-DEDT, 2008). These two tourism policies at the national and provincial level are backed by the tourism Acts at both the national and provincial level. The assessment of these in creating an enabling environment is exhaustively done in chapter seven to ascertain if the tourism industry in KwaZulu-Natal is effectively regulated.