Barriers to Sustainable Tourism Development
Tourism policy and planning
Barriers to Sustainable Tourism Development in Peripheral Regions
Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the world (“Tip, B.Poon, 2009). So tourism industry becomes one of the most important economies in a country. According to Tearfund, tourism industry is the best industry that can grow easily and can increase the Gross Domestic Profits (GDP), especially in Lesser Developed Country. Thus sustainable tourism development is a key strategy for developing. “Sustainable tourism is tourism that developed in such a way so as to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (D. Weaver, L.Lawton, p-299, 2010). Sustain tourism can minimized the cost of environmental, social, culture and economic by maximizing the benefits of those (D.Weaver, L. Lawton, p-299, 2010). Also sustainable tourism is a carrying capacity of economic to destination. Sustainable tourism development is regarded to enhance the local development and for maintaining environment, social culture and natural resources in the international resolution (Sala, Castellan, 2010). In Bagan (Myanmar), the Tourism Board of Myanmar will focus on the nature-based tourism (heritage tourism site) to sustainable tourism development for local people in Bagan. Heritage based tourism can create the awareness of culture, traditional living standard and also the research about heritage site or knowledge of that heritage site. That sustainable tourism development can give so many opportunities to local with direct and indirect way, such as job opportunities and also that development can increase the income of local people and so on. The sustainable heritage based tourism development in Bagan is one of the essential to meet what the local community needs and wants. Furthermore, the development of heritage based tourism in Bagan can attract more tourists to the destination. “Sustainable tourism development is now widely promoted as a holistic concept that aims to integrate social, economic and cultural policies to ensure high quality growth in the context to which it is applied” (M.Reid, W.Schwab, 2006). All of the countries focused on sustainable tourism development for developing and engaging small medium enterprises. As an example, travel agency will engage with accommodation sectors of a tourist (hotel, model, inn, guest house). Also airline companies engaged with hotel for increasing not only their income but also increasing the GDP of destinations, e.g. Singapore Airline engages with Marina Bay Sands (MBS) Hotel. People who travel with Singapore Airline can get the discount in MBS Hotel. In addition, according to World Export Development Forum focus, Developed Countries try to engage with least developed counties or developing country (McIntyre, Kris, 2011). For Bagan, the agencies of German, France and other EU countries are engaged with Myanmar tour agencies and Tourism Board of Myanmar for developing tourism development in peripheral region (Bagan).
Bagan (Myanmar) is one of the peripheral regions of Myanmar where there has only attraction for tourists. According to Oxford dictionary, peripheral nations are the third world countries those are still in the developing stage with a very low standard of living (Oxford Dictionary). According to Brown (2000), the peripheral regions rely on conventional industries and there has no or low economic growth. Bagan is one of the destinations where full with tourist’s attractions but the government does not support anything to that area for economic growth. Actually the Bagan has attractive sceneries that are valuable for tourism industry. Most of the people in peripheral regions are old people because young generations rely on technologies and migrate to other place where developed areas (urban areas).
The main business of Myanmar is agriculture and the government should promote the country as a popular destination to become a developed country. Also Bagan is very interesting place. But there has so many barriers to develop the peripheral regions like Bagan, Myanmar. Some of the barriers are lack of knowledge, poor transportation system, lack of government support, lack of infrastructure and no tourism planning. In Bagan, local people are doing handicraft and most of the people are vendors and farmers so they have no knowledge about tourism. That is why the government should promote the destination (Bagan) to local tour agencies. Furthermore, there has no tour agency in Bagan. When the government promotes the place, tour agency will set up their company in destinations. And that company will provide the job and provide the trainee to local people for participating in sustainable tourism development and language section. Most of the people from peripheral region cannot speak international language, English. Provide the trainee sections that provide the acknowledgement of tourism is the best solution for solving the barrier (limited knowledge). Also should provide the English language class for people who want to work in tourism and hospitality industry. Knowing about tourism can be one of the opportunities to create job as well as can increase the local people income. There can be increase the number of visitors when developing sustainable tourism and that can improve the lifestyle of local people and can increase the Gross Domestic Profit (GDP) of country as well.
And another one of the main barriers is no tourism planning in that peripheral region (Bagan, Myanmar). The government should develop the tourism planning by cooperation with tour operator. Tour operator is the person or organization that can knew everything about the tourism such as what type of media should use, what kind of place can be tourist’s attraction, which type of people should we use in specific area and so on. The tourism planning is the very first step for developing sustainable tourism development. That tourism planning can address the policies, zoning and etc. The policy can make the local people happy. This is because the local people will feel upset when their place is more visitors than local people. Zoning can help not only to the natural resources but also to the local people. If the tour operator make zoning can help both tourism industry and local areas. As an example Bagan should create zone for tourists and that zone is especially for economic zone. This is because now Bagan is very few local people and that can affect to them if there has no zoning. Furthermore, the government should make long term plan. They should think at least ten years plan for local people. This is because there can appear many business (private companies) from around the country. If the government did not create long term plan, the local people will feel annoy to both tourists and private sectors. So government should consider for the local people because they are the main sector that can sustain tourism development in their region.
According to Parlato (2004), “an altruistic attitude towards the environment, resulting in behavioral change, is more likely to occur if motivation to do so is on a personal and individual level, through one’s own beliefs as well as value system rather than if it were enforced legally or simply viewed as a social or political ideal”. There cannot be sustainable tourism develop where there has no each local (personal) involvement in planning. Also each of everyone can change their mind in within a second so the government should do make sure plan for their future. In addition, the government should consider about the local people beliefs and values. Furthermore, local people will fully support when the government consider what they beliefs and values for their life. Those beliefs and values can build trust between local people and government. And that can solve the barriers of unbelievable in government. Effective local people cooperation is hardly to get when the government used power to them.
According to Butler (1999), the problem for sustainable tourism development is hardly to clarify the meaning of word and also that can focus on the weakness points of destination. The meaning of sustainable tourism development is rarely to hear for local people and sometime that can be misunderstanding between local people and other stakeholders. So the tour operators should introduce the exactly meaning and accurate information to local people for preventing the conflicts. The worse results can come out for development when there has problem with local people. This is because local people are the core center that can support in sustainable development.
Another barrier is the destination is lack of tourist’s facilities. Tourist’s facilities are hotel, motel, guest house for accommodation, train, car, bus for transportation, restaurant, bar for food and beverage and so on. The peripheral region like Bagan is lack of those facilities for attracting more tourists. Even there has no international accommodation such as Hilton, Marriott, etc. The government should open up the international business. This is because some tourists thinks they are so loyal while they stay at international standard as well as some tourists did not choose the place there has no international hotels. If the government wants to develop sustainable tourism, firstly they should create or open up the business for facilities. Furthermore, local hotel developers will come in and set up their business in the region. So that can be advantages for people who live in that destination. In addition, the local developer can observe knowledge from the international hotel for improving the standard and attract more visitors to come. Open up economic sector is the most important thing.
Sources: trading economics (2013)
This graph can show how important the open up economy is. This graph shows the number of tourists’ arrivals in Myanmar and can see the differences between before and after open up economy. Also transportation is one of the most important things that we have to think for developing. There will be less tourists will come when there has poor transportation system.
Having a bad tourism leaders can rain the sustain development. In peripheral region or people from developing countries have limited knowledge about tourism. Sometime they just emphasized on the short-term profits and never consider the things can happen in near future. For example, a tourism leader who has only skill that can make money or profits a lot but cannot sustain. So the tourism leader should be knowledgeable about tourism, also can motivate to people for supporting and cooperate as well. A features of good tourism leader is a person who
Can able to motivate others,
Can access to an extensive network both within and outside the community,
Can support the values of the community and enthusiastic about the region and its tourism potential as well (Moscardo, 2005).
As a summary, the tourism industry of Bagan cannot get profits as they expected because of the knowledge of tourism barriers. For solving those barriers, government should build the trust between local people also the good tourism leaders can manage all the things. In addition, the government or other stakeholders providing trainee section to local people for their lacking knowledge. As a result, that can develop a very successful stainable tourism development in peripheral region and can enter and improve the local standard to global standard of business.
References
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Reid,M., & Schwab,W. (2006). Barriers to Sustainable Development. Aisan and Africa Studies, 41, 20. Retrieved from http://jas.sagepub.com.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/content/41/5-6/439.full.pdf+html
McIntyre, K. (2011). 2011 WEDF: SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT. International Trade Forum, (2), 9-11. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/896731062?accountid=16285
http://www.premierwritings.com/barriers-to-sustainable-tourism-development-in-peripheral-regions/
Brown, F. (2000). Tourism In Peripheral Areas: case Studies: Aspects of Tourism, MultilingualMatters.
Parlato, M. (2004). Ecotourism and the Maltese islands: A Case study. Rural Recreation and Tourism Publications of the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, Unpublished Master’s Dissertation
Dodds, Rachel and Butler, Richard (2009): Barriers to implementing Sustainable Tourism Policy in Mass Tourism Destinations. Published in: TOURISMOS: An International Multidisciplinary Journal of Tourism, Vol. 5, No. 1 (15. April 2010): pp. 35-53
Trading Economics. (n.d.). International tourism – number of arrivals in Myanmar. Retrieved from http://www.tradingeconomics.com/myanmar/international-tourism-number-of-arrivals-wb-data.html
Moscardo, G. (2005) Peripheral tourism development: Challenges, issues and success factors. Tourism Recreation Research, 30(1), 27-44.
