There is a clear difference between the management of tourism and tourism management and this is really a question of attitude, experience and knowledge of what tourism is to a destination. Is it an activity that is planned in the national interest for as wide a stakeholder base as possible or is it an industry that is put together by the short-termists, the politicians and the businesses to feather their own nests? So far our experience, at a global level, has shown that the latter definition is the one that is more evident.
If we want to manage tourism then we have to think of long-term planning, using the integrated approach to planning with the key stakeholders (including the local community, the local authority and the local businesses) and this has to be a continuous and consistent process. As I stated in my last article here, we cannot afford to take tourism for granted, we cannot play at tourism, we should manage the destination, this means that we all have our responsibilities here; whether we work for a tourism organization or whether we work in the public service or sector or even if we are working in a totally different area.
Managing tourism is about enhancing the host-visitor relationship. We certainly need a sense of place and belonging and this is not apparent in any one of us from the local authorities to the communities – we accept the institutionalized vandalism in our rural and urban spaces (including the building of apartment blocks where once stood traditional local houses); we accept the fly tipping across the islands; we do not question government enough on the question of “consultations” and policy making. If we want tom manage tourism then we have to be the leaders here.
If, on the other hand, we are happy to accept tourism management as that fragmented industry – the hotelier, the travel agent, the airline and the tour operator manipulating this fragmented activity (and, by the way, this is apparent across the EU not just on these islands) – then carry on regardless and accept the results this will bring again – overtourism, unsustainability, irresponsible tourism.
As a member of this community you have a right to stop the errors made through tourism management, you have the right and the duty to ensure your own locality is not destroyed by developers and irrelevant infrastructure. The rest is up to you.
Next October 2021 I will be coordinating an interactive course with AZAD on the issues and management of Civic Tourism here. We have the chance here to start a new chapter in tourism, to work together and to present a quality activity we can all be proud of, where we can all have that sense of place. You too are welcome to join this course and be part of the change in the management of tourism.
This week I am including some points from the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics – these simple processes should become our mantra in managing tourism sustainable, responsibly, effectively and successfully.
Recommendations from the Global Code of Ethics (UNWTO, 2000)
As a fundamental frame of reference for responsible and sustainable tourism, the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism (GCET) is a comprehensive set of principles designed to guide key-players in tourism development. Addressed to governments, the travel industry, communities and tourists alike, it aims to help maximize the sector’s benefits while minimizing its potentially negative impact on the environment, cultural heritage and societies across the globe.
Adopted in 1999 by the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization, its acknowledgement by the United Nations two years later expressly encouraged UNWTO to promote the effective follow-up of its provisions. Although not legally binding, the Code features a voluntary implementation mechanism through its recognition of the role of the World Committee on Tourism Ethics (WCTE), to which stakeholders may refer matters concerning the application and interpretation of the document.
The Code’s 10 principles amply cover the economic, social, cultural and environmental components of travel and tourism:
Article 1: Tourism's contribution to mutual understanding and respect between peoples and societies
Article 2: Tourism as a vehicle for individual and collective fulfillment
Article 3: Tourism, a factor of sustainable development
Article 4: Tourism, a user of the cultural heritage of mankind and contributor to its enhancement
Article 5: Tourism, a beneficial activity for host countries and communities
Article 6: Obligations of stakeholders in tourism development
Article 7: Right to tourism
Article 8: Liberty of tourist movements
Article 9: Rights of the workers and entrepreneurs in the tourism industry
Article 10: Implementation of the principles of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism
Ref. http://uclg-mewa.org/global-code-of-ethics-for-tourism/
In my next article I will discuss the principles of Civic Tourism and my own rersearch on the integrated approach to tourism planning.
Dr Julian Zarb is a researcher, local tourism planning consultant and a visiting senior lecturer at the University of Malta. He has also been appointed as an Expert for the High Streets Task Force in the UK. His main area of research is community-based tourism and local tourism planning using the integrated approach.