1
Tourism Planning and Development
Onyinyechi Priscilla Christian Wariboko
University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt
Email: onyinyechi.wariboko@uniport.edu.ng
Introduction
Tourism is one aspect of the economy that is growing very fast and is also becoming more and
more popular among nations. Nations and the tourism industry at large are therefore geared
towards its development. It has potentials for economic as well as sociocultural and
environmental impacts. These impacts could either be positive or negative depending on whether
or not tourism was planned, how well it was planned and executed. Hence, the need for
concerted tourism planning and development cannot be overemphasized. Bhatia (2006) correctly
states that “tourism planning is the process for tourism development” (p. 219). Like the saying
goes, ‘he who fails to plan, plans to fail’. Painstakingly planning tourism is a prerequisite for a
successful tourism development. Just like every human endeavour, tourism if not properly
planned can be catastrophic. There are usually issues that need to be carefully sorted out on the
planning table so as to minimize the negative potentials of tourism and maximize its benefits.
Scholars agree that the tourism industry is a complex industry as a result of its exogenous nature.
In other words, tourism involves different industries. The complexity of the industry therefore
necessitates a coordinated, integrated and careful planning by all tourism stakeholders and
sectors concerned/involved in tourism. A good plan for tourism development should involve
policies, regulations, legislations and a body responsible for monitoring the implementation and
dynamics of such a plan. Roday, Biwal and Joshi (2010) note that “unplanned and unregulated
tourism has an adverse impact on society, culture, ecology, and the economy in the long run” (p.
436). Continuing, they state that “good planning will ensure desired results and systematic
working to achieve success” (p. 437). In a nutshell, if the benefits of tourism must be enjoyed,
proper planning is indispensable.
This chapter will therefore focus on the very crucial place of planning in tourism and tourism
development. Particularly, it will look at the need for tourism planning, tourism planning
2
process, the importance of tourism planning, tourism attraction development and historic site
management.
The Need for Tourism Planning
It must be reiterated here that good planning is requisite for any endeavour that must be
successful. Ezeani (2015) defines planning as “an act or process of drawing up plans or layout
for some project or enterprise” (p. 1). Haphazard tourism development has proven to be
disastrous in many ways. Tourism developers who focus on the economic gains of tourism
without due consideration of a thought-through and carefully prepared all-encompassing plan
usually end up with results that are inimical to the industry, host community and even tourists in
the long run. To underscore the need for tourism planning, it suffices to say that every country
should have a national tourism policy that will address issues on tourism and champion the need
for tourism planning. Planning is needed to sustain tourism. According to Roday, Biwal and
Joshi (2010), “the need for planned development of attractions is of utmost importance if they
are to remain as attractions in the years to come” (p. 455). They therefore outline the following,
among others, as the reasons why tourism planning is needful;

Integrated Tourism Development: As earlier mentioned, the tourism industry
comprises of many different sectors. A plan therefore helps to coordinate the
activities of the different sectors towards a common goal. In the words of Gee (1997),
there is need to plan tourism so as to “have a common vision, direction and
commitment for tourism established through a participative process of involving
many stakeholders” (p. 325).

Economic benefits: Tourism development requires huge capital investment and
good planning is needed to ensure economic benefits from such huge investment.
Poor or lack of tourism planning can lead to tremendous economic loss or waste of
resources. Bhatia (2006) states that “the fact that tourism is by its nature somewhat
different from other sectors of the economy necessitates careful planning” (p. 223).
Roday, Biwal and Joshi (2010:436) also mention revenue generation as one of the
3
reasons tourism planning is needed. Planning helps to extract the financial gains of
tourism.

Conservation: Certain historic sites, cultural traits/activities, scenic environments
and tourist attractions should necessarily be conserved or they would suffer
irreparable damage or go into extinction. Planning helps to put policies, regulations
and laws in place that will ensure their continued maintenance and existence. Roday,
Biwal and Joshi (2010) succinctly state that planning helps to ensure conservation “by
optimizing the benefits [of tourism] and preventing the problems” (p. 438).

Sustainable tourism development: Bhatia (2006) categorically states that “of all the
modern industries, tourism has the greatest need to protect the environment of the
places of natural and cultural importance – be it a monument, a beach resort or a
wildlife sanctuary” (p. 245). When tourism development is not well planned, it can
lead to gradual wearing away or destruction of natural, cultural and environmental
resources, thereby jeopardizing the ability of future generations to enjoy such
resources. In other words, lack of planning can lead to unsustainable development
which is highly detrimental to the tourism industry and the tourist site in particular.
Proper tourism planning could lead to the maintenance and preservation of cultural,
natural and environmental resources in the process of tourism development. Gee
(1997:325) and Scheyvens (2002:171-172) also opine that sociocultural and
environmental sustainability are parts of the core reasons why tourism planning is
very essential.

Human resources development: Tourism requires the services of professionals as
well as skilled and unskilled labour force. It can only take a good plan to provide
sufficient human resources with the required skills and expertise. Planning helps to
decipher the amount of human resources needed in a particular site, skills required
and how they can be acquired. A good plan considers organizing educational and
training programmes for the labour force if need be and so on.
4
 Security: Tourism plan addresses internal security problems, crime perpetrated
by tourists and crime against tourists by members of the host community. A
good plan ensures adequate security in a particular destination.
Furthermore, planning is also very essential for host community development. When a well
coordinated plan is not drawn, host communities, while bearing the brunt of tourism, could be
left out from its benefits. Scheyvens (2002:176) argues that the major role of the tourism industry
is to ensure that tourism leads to community development. Also, planning is needed in order to
identify likely ethical issues that will arise as a result of tourism and nip it in the bud by
preparing and issuing guide books to tourists or giving tour operators the right training to be able
to address such ethical issues properly. Tourism planning is a means of creating quality tourist
destinations for the enhancement of visitor satisfaction. Gee (1997:325) underscores this point
when he avers that the tourism market is becoming more and more competitive. Planning is
therefore needed to create quality destinations that will meet the demands of tourists.
In
summary, the need for tourism planning is so significant that ignoring it could be
counterproductive for the tourism industry.
Tourism Planning Process
Credible planning takes an orderly trajectory. Tourism planning demands a painstaking and
logical course followed in an order of precedence. A good plan cannot therefore be arrived at
through a haphazard exercise. Adherence to tourism planning process is essential for a successful
tourism development. Bhatia (2006:226-235) outlines the following as the different phases in
planning tourism:
(a) assessment of tourist demand and supply,
(b) establishing objectives,
(c) territorial planning,
(d) basic infrastructure,
(e) financial planning,
5
(f) human resource planning,
(g) administrative structure,
(h) marketing and promotion,
(i) monitoring progress, and
(j) the time factor.
However, Roday, Biwal and Joshi (2010:440-441) and Gee (1997:329-330) render a sequence
of tourism planning that is more similar and simpler –
(1) defining the system, goals and objectives,
(2) gathering of relevant data,
(3) analyzing and interpreting the data,
(4) preliminary planning and review,
(5) approving and finalizing the plan, and
(6) implementing and monitoring of the final plan.
Steps in Tourism Planning Process
These steps will be discussed below.
1. Defining the system, goals and objectives: The first step in the planning process is a
clear-cut definition of the nature of the tourism development, size of the site and intention
of the development, including a time frame for the development. Specific objectives of
tourism development at this point will help give direction to the plan. Questions about the
reason for tourism development, expectations from the development, the kind of tourists
to be attracted and so on are considered at this stage.
2. Gathering of relevant data: Quantitative and qualitative research or fact-finding is
carried out in this phase in order to gather relevant information on existing and potential
6
tourist attractions and their status quo, the feasibility and marketability of the attraction,
the kind of regulations and policies that will be needful and so on.
3. Analyzing and interpreting the data: At this stage, the data gathered is interpreted and
analyzed. This will serve as a good footing for drawing conclusions and making
recommendations that will set the stage for and guide the preliminary plan.
4. Preliminary planning and review: This step has to do with the actual drawing of a
preliminary plan from the conclusions drawn and recommendations made from the
interpretation and analysis of the data gathered. In this phase, according to Roday, Biwal
and Joshi (2010), “scale models for land use, sketches to depict the development image,
financial plans, site surveys, and layout plans to show investment need phase wise, etc.
are prepared” (p. 441). The preliminary plan is usually reviewed and further polished to
ensure feasibility before it is approved.
5. Approving and finalizing the plan: When the preliminary plan has been perused,
necessary modifications made, and the nitty-gritty of the plan crystallized, the plan is
approved as a final plan. This final plan, which is supposed to be meticulously arrived at
and well detailed, then becomes the working document for tourism development.
6. Implementing and monitoring of the final plan: This step has to do with carrying out
the final plan and constantly evaluating the progress and result of the plan. During
implementation and monitoring of the final plan, adjustments can be made when
necessary in line with tourism policy. To underscore the crucial place of monitoring the
progress of a final plan, Bhatia (2006) avers that “preparation of a plan document is not
an end in itself” (p. 233). Continuing, he opines that,
A system of constant revision and monitoring of the plan progress should be a part of
the exercise of planning. Targets must be revised continually in the light of changing
resources and other circumstances. The error is to mistake a plan for planning. … a
plan is static and planning must be dynamic. (p. 233).
Importance of Tourism Planning
7
Tourism planning is of utmost importance to the tourism industry, public and private sectors and
to the destination area as unplanned development can be disastrous and a sheer waste of
resources. Unplanned tourism development often leads to social and environmental problems and
such sites hardly attract tourists. No endeavour will be successful without adequate planning. To
buttress this point, Bhatia (2006) states that “careful planning is a prerequisite for complete
success of any programme” (p. 222). For Scheyvens (2002), lack of effective planning and
implementation, “is the main impediment to tourism development” (p. 171).
Tourism, like it was stated earlier, is a rather complex industry that comprises of different sectors
of the society which are independent but can synergize to boost tourism. Tourism planning is
therefore important because it coordinates these different industries, weighing their pros and
cons to the industry and putting structures on ground so that they can contribute meaningfully to
making tourism beneficial. Planning pays prime attention to sustainability, conservation,
infrastructure, transportation, forecasting, the dynamics of information technology, human
resources development, carrying capacity, the environment, security and so on. Lack of planning
and coordination in these areas could mar tourism. Tourism planning is also of paramount
importance because it is while planning that tourism policies are made. These policies are of
course, vital in ensuring a smooth running of the industry. Legislations and regulations that guide
tourism development are also mapped out during planning. Data or information gathering which
is part of the process of tourism planning helps the government in drawing these regulations and
legislations. In the words of Scheyvens (2002),
Information-gathering for resource inventories and ongoing monitoring of the social,
environmental and economic impacts of tourism are critical as well and can help
governments, for example, to establish clear regulations regarding water and soil
quality and waste production, and to define carrying capacity levels for different
resources to avoid overexploitation. (p. 173).
However, National and Regional Tourism Planning (2015:7-8) summarizes the important
specific benefits of tourism planning thus:

Planning crystallizes overall tourism development objectives and policies.
8

It ensures sustainability while developing tourism.

It integrates tourism into the scheme of things in the country or region and establishes the
link between tourism and other economic sectors.

It provides a common basis for synergy and deliberations by both the public and private
sectors on tourism development.

It makes the coordination of the different sectors that make up the tourism sector
possible.

Planning helps to optimize the benefits of tourism and minimize its possible problems.

It guides the location, types and extent of tourism attraction development, facilities,
services and infrastructure

It provides the basis for effective coordination of the efforts and venture capital of the
public and private sectors in tourism development.

It helps to keep tourism development on track and monitor its progress.
Planning is necessary for the development of both virgin sites and the maintenance and
revitalization of existing sites. When tourism plans are implemented and monitored, there will be
substantial positive impacts because planning minimizes the downside of tourism on the
environment, culture and community, and increases its advantages.
Tourism Attraction Development
Attraction development is another aspect of tourism that must be handled meticulously and
tactfully if the aim of development must not be jeopardized or bastardized. For a hitch-free
development, the right procedure must be followed. Regulations, legislations and policies should
be carried out to the letter and thought-through tourism plan adhered to. Attractions developed
without due consideration of the foregoing will sooner or later have more nuisance value than
economic or even tourist satisfaction value. More so, environmental protection and the
interests/sentiments of the host community are among the vital concerns that must be prioritized
during tourism attraction development.
9
Therefore, Roday, Biwal and Joshi (2010:443) opine that for an attraction development to be
meaningful, certain principles should be followed. These principles include; (i) listing, (ii)
evaluation, and (iii) development strategy. These principles, as discussed by Roday, Biwal and
Joshi (2010:443-446) will be summarized here.

Listing: The first port of call in attraction development is to carry out a survey and take a
catalog of current as well as probable attractions with their special features in a particular
area. This list could contain, among others, attractions like archeological sites,
monuments, museums, historic buildings, waterfalls, antique and handicraft shops, and
mountains. The list can be further categorized into natural, cultural and human made or
built attractions. Under this first principle of tourism attraction development, government
plans on tourism, government policies, legislations and regulations in force, tourism
organizations in the region, capital generation/tourism investment strategies, and training
facilities and institutes available are all appraised. The information gotten is then
analyzed and used in preparing a development plan.

Evaluation: Here, attractions are weighed in terms of their quality, authenticity,
uniqueness, activity potential, popularity and of course, the category of the attraction is
also evaluated. Any attraction or potential attraction that is not replete with the above
mentioned qualities may not be feasible for development.
Under quality, what the attraction can offer in terms of value for money and visitor
satisfaction is what counts. The authenticity of a particular attraction is also surveyed
when planning attraction development. Unoriginal attractions are usually less attractive
and need constant improvement to continue to attract visitors. Uniqueness of the
attraction is another quality that is usually evaluated when planning attraction
development. Tourists seek distinctive and special experiences from attractions. Hence,
any attraction that can offer experiences that are distinctive will likely attract more
visitors. For activity potential, a site that offers variety of activities, especially ones that
are consistent with that particular attraction will apparently be more appealing than one
without much activity. Activities make tourism less boring and more pleasant to tourists.
So any attraction that can provide activities for visitors is a promising attraction for
10
development. More so, whether or not the site is popular among tourists is another
yardstick that is used to evaluate the feasibility of attraction development. Finally, the
category of the attraction is evaluated. Attractions are categorized into primary and
secondary travel motivators. Primary travel motivators are the main motivators for
traveling, while secondary motivators are other smaller attractions that tourists visit as an
appendage to the primary motivator. Both categories of attraction are necessary when
considering tourism attraction development.

Development Strategy: After listing and evaluating an attraction, strategies will then be
put in place to develop the attraction. According to Roday, Biwal and Joshi (2010:445),
these development strategies include (i) organic bunching and (ii) thematic appeal.

Organic bunching: This has to do with bundling similar attractions to work in
symbiosis. The relatively insignificant attractions usually benefit from such bundling.
Organic bunching makes the attraction more attractive and formidable. Primary (major)
attractions do not necessarily benefit from this bunching as they are usually selfsufficient, but secondary (smaller) attractions within the area or periphery of the primary
attraction do, as they are also patronized by visitors whose main motivator is the primary
attraction. Themes as tourism attraction development strategy help make the attraction
exceptional and therefore enticing to tourists.

Thematic appeal: This has to do with developing an attraction with a definite theme
which according to Roday, Biwal and Joshi (2010), “may be based on fantasy, escape,
any period of history, rural lifestyle, urbanization, etc. … themes help in psychologically
transforming the individual to a different place and time including places of make-belief
and fantasy” (p. 445).
More so, it is important that in developing tourism attractions, the carrying capacity of the
attraction to be developed should match the number of tourists to be accommodated per time.
This will help watch against the negative consequences of mass tourism environmentally,
economically and so on. Attractions should be developed in such a way that their negative
impacts to the destination area will be curtailed and their chances of success in terms of
11
employment, community development and income generation enhanced. Scheyvens (2002:172)
also notes that heavy outside (foreign) influences or consultations, especially on third world
tourism development is usually selfish and rarely considers the interests of the local community.
The whole issue of tourism attraction development therefore boils down to good and integrated
tourism planning which should, of necessity, involve the local community. Governments should
also serve as watch dogs to ensure that private sector attraction developers follow the laid down
policies, legislations and regulations on attraction development so as to avoid arbitrary
development and its obnoxious effects.
Historic Site Management
Historic sites or monuments such as traditional architecture, historical houses/palaces, statues
and so on form tourist attraction and are usually delicate because of age. They however
constitute a major travel motivator in cultural tourism as they are seen as relics of cultural
heritages that have endured for the appreciation of the present generation and posterity. They are
usually replete with authentic and unique tourism experience and have the potentials of
economic gains if well planned and managed. However, because they are precious, care need to
be taken to protect and conserve them from damage, wear and tear and/or trespasses such as
graffiti and so on. It therefore behooves on tourism planners to put the unique nature of historic
sites into consideration while planning so that they can ensure sustainability, maximize the
economic gains that could accrue from such sites and reduce to the barest minimum, all forms of
destruction of such heritages. Roday, Biwal and Joshi (2010) assert that if these sites are not
carefully preserved, “they will crumble into a heap of rubble” (p. 449). Therefore, in managing a
historic site that serves as a tourist attraction, the following should be of utmost concern;

Restoration and protection of site: Historical sites that are already deteriorating should
be rejuvenated and such sites jealously guarded so that they will not lose their value as
tourist attractions. Reflecting on the importance of protecting historic sites, Roday, Biwal
and Joshi (2010) succinctly states that “direct access to very fragile features should be
prohibited and these areas should be cordoned off” (p. 450).
12

Visitor satisfaction: Historic sites should be managed in such a way that visitor
satisfaction would be achieved. Visitors should be properly guided around the site with
signage. Tour guides at historic sites should be well informed on the history of the site
and well trained in terms of attitude and communication skills so as to ensure a pleasant
experience for the visitors. Necessary facilities should also be made available for visitors.

Income generation: One of the core objectives of tourism attraction development is
revenue generation. Therefore historic sites should be managed in such a way that it can
also generate income. Income can be generated through entry ticket fees, sales of
refreshment, souvenirs, arts and crafts, and other artifacts.

Carrying capacity and sustainability: In the effort to satisfy visitors and generate
income, the capacity of a historic site must not be exceeded and the site should be used in
such a way that it will be sustained for the future generations. Overcrowding historic sites
could lead to damage of the site and could adversely affect the site environmentally,
culturally and otherwise.

Site maintenance and conservation: Historic sites should be continuously maintained
and refurbished. More so, actions should be taken to conserve them by putting up
restrictions on direct contact with some areas. Such areas should be viewed from a
distance so as to avoid loss of such heritages.

Acceptable behaviours: Tour guides should ensure that tourists refrain from
unacceptable and unethical behaviours that could mar the site. Tour guide books and
other directories could be of help in ensuring good behaviours from tourists. In the words
of Roday, Biwal and Joshi (2010), “tourist sensitization measures need to be taken to
maintain the sanctity of the place. Proper rules and behavioural expectations from tourists
should be put up in clear print at the entrance” (p. 451).
Generally, historic sites usually constitute a fascinating aspect of tourism but they must be well
planned and managed to yield the benefits of tourism both to the tourism industry, the host
community and the visitors.
Summary
13
Tourism will be in shambles if it is not well planned and painstakingly developed. Hence, the
need for tourism planning cannot be overstated. Planning exposes the negative potentials of
tourism and nips it in the bud and makes tourism a worthwhile endeavour for everyone involved.
Good tourism planning must be a scrupulous endeavour that must follow a logical trajectory. In
other words, one process or level of the planning naturally leads to another one until it
culminates to a workable and logical final plan which serves as a working document for tourism
development. Tourism attraction development and historic site management are also handled
carefully. The reason is because haphazard attraction development or mismanaged historic sites
could spell doom for all tourism stakeholders and could deal a natural death blow to tourism in a
particular country or destination area. Planning all aspects and forms of tourism is therefore of
prime importance if tourism will continue to be reckoned with.
14
References
Bhatia, A.K. (2006). Tourism development: Principles and practices. New Delhi: Sterling
Publishers Private Limited.
Ezeani, J.E. (2015). Strategies for development: The role of planning in tourism. Retrieved on
April 2, 2015, from http://www.enugustatetourismboard.com/p.php?
Gee, C.Y. (Ed.) (1997). International tourism: A global perspective. Spain: World Tourism
Organization.
National and Regional Tourism Planning (2015). Retrieved on April 2, 2015, from
https://www.monroecollege.edu/.../...
Roday, S., Biwal, A. and Joshi, V. (2010). Tourism operations and management. Oxford:
University Press.
Scheyvens, R. (2002). Tourism for development: Empowering communities. England: Pearson
Education Limited.