Critical Evaluation
The essential aim of this paper is to analyse the content, idea and structure of tow discussion papers which shed light on the value and significance of heritage tourism and three vital dimensions sustainable tourism development which focuses on economic, social and environmental goals. The two selected discussion papers have focused on the aspects related to heritage tourism which in recent times have attained substantial degree of recognition of being one of the leading as well as rapid increasing tourism sectors across the world (National trust 2018). The second chosen discussion paper primarily focus on the exploration of the role and importance of tourism in the process of sustainable development by emphasizing the facets which can reinforce environmental safeguard and further promote sustainable growth and development (United Nations general assembly 2017).
The paper ‘National Heritage Tourism Summit’ published by National Trusts of Australia has been prepared in order to provide explicit information related to the importance of heritage tourism and the way benefits derived from heritage tourism have been elevated across the wide range of international economy with social, community, collective and heritage and legacy preservation tends to gain at a great degree in comparison to direct expenditure levels (National trust 2018). The paper has provided an inclusive outline stating that tourists visiting heritage enhanced regions exhibit greater degree of inclination to seek increased value experiences and further deliver an elevated expend than emphasizing on nature-centric activities (National trust 2018).
The discussion paper primarily focused on the roles and importance of heritage governance, National Trusts and value of tourism in Australia. It has been observed through the evaluation of the paper that the principal accountability of the Australian administration significantly lied in offering provisions to broad array of heritage leadership at the national level (United Nations general assembly 2017). As heritage in recent times have developed as a crucial factor of tourism product and services because of its facilitation and great contribution in increasing the income level and providing protection to culturally enriched regions, there can be witnessed a strong association between tourism and heritage-based places which aid to the growth of regional upliftment and preserving the legacy of those regions (Jenkins et al. 2014). The paper has been primarily prepared to highlight on facets of traditional, cultural as well as heritage oriented activities which rapidly increasing the size and value of nature-based tourism aspect (Dredge, Jenkins and Whitford 2011). The rapidly increasing rate of cultural and heritage activities opened room for certain opportunities in order to amplify the rate of tourist distribution and the duration of their stay in global markets, further resulting in an elevation in significance of this invaluable sector (Lee 2013). The expansion of cultural and heritage activities divisions have signified an augmented prominence of Australian cultural, traditional and heritage contributions from both global and domestic markets.
Heritage Tourism Discussion Paper
The second part of the discussion paper aimed to proficiently address the way heritage tourism has been witnessing devaluation and decline of its value in the tourism market (National trust 2018). Substantial level of observation have recognized certain challenges and intricacies related to the declining rate of investments and funding for preserving heritage value along with lack of unity and conformity of art and heritage elements pertaining to local, national, state or regional tourism planning except for regions like Tasmania and Victoria during cultural events (National trust 2018). The discussion paper has provided a well observed analysis regarding the accessibility rate of the aid and support received from the Australian government. Certain legal obstacles has been witnessed regarding Commonwealth investment which is intended for heritage sites which are not been mentioned on World Heritage list nor on the record provided by National Heritage (Waligo, Clarke and Hawkins 2013).
Furthermore, the paper mentioned about public investments through contribution and aid for heritage tourism activities in Australia which have been estimated to be lower than other international heritage statistics. This lower rate of funding has been assumed to have caused because of significant lack of policy prominence on the importance of preserving the legacy of heritage places (Dredge and Gyimóthy 2015). These factors furthermore, has been consequential in the decline rate of investment and preservation policies and other heritage activities further compelling owners to provide substantial contributions due to the lack of sufficient government funds and resources in order to preserve heritage sites in Australia (Lee 2013). The paper has been successful in providing certain valuable directives, guiding standards as well as strategic framework in order to enhance and strengthen the current situation of heritage tourism and further establish well-established National Working Association on heritage tourism (National trust 2018).
The second paper based on Sustainable Tourism for Development published by the United Nations General Assembly has provided a preliminary outline for evaluating the tourism’s role and significance in the process of sustainable growth and expansion (United Nations general assembly 2017). The fundamental objective of the paper lied on addressing the contributory areas and challenges it encounters in the process of highlighting the requirement for observant planning and management . The paper comprising each thematic segment has offered an explicit indication of existing evidence which tends to give rise to certain issues and challenges in order to take into consideration while developing and further emphasizes precedence for action (United Nations general assembly 2017).
Sustainable Tourism for Development Discussion Paper
The paper comprising several ideas and themes have accentuated the high level of significance which tourism embraces and is regarded as one of the tradable services responsible for providing an estimate one out of eleven jobs across the world. This sector has further attained considerable degree of prominence for providing immense opportunities and scopes in at the local level along with offering prospective occupational chances for both women and the young generation (Dredge and Gyimóthy 2015). However, tourism cannot be understood to alleviate poverty or enhance the economy level, whereby the absolute rate of the multifaceted tourism value chain signifies valuable areas of scopes and avenues to generate both diffident and advanced associations which can further have the ability to incorporate both small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) (Jenkins et al. 2014).
One of the major areas that the paper highlighted is factors related to community-centric tourism approach which can further establish highly required opening and avenues in particular to the rural or Indigenous population (United Nations general assembly 2017). However, in order to prevail the impending adverse impacts related to competition for inadequate capital and resources like land and water, tourism policy planning as well as tourism management which must attempt to ascertain that socio-economic advantages of tourism should attain the needs of local communities by simultaneously guaranteeing that local communities are engaged in the process of tourism policy planning processes (Dredge, Jenkins and Whitford 2011). The paper further mentions that a well-balanced approach of great significance to safeguard tourism from debasing susceptible ecosystems or further establishing indirect demands on certain ecological reserves (United Nations general assembly 2017).
However, the major strength of the paper is its emphasis on policy guidelines and principles within individual nations who must essentially aim to ascertain that tourism endorsement and promotion is highly incorporated in national policies and strategies especially the approaches of sustainable progress and development (United Nations general assembly 2017). Furthermore, United Nations general assembly (2017) paper highlights nations often develop System of Tourism Statistics (STS) as well as Tourism Satellite Accounts (TSAs) in order to offer provisions for reliable evaluation of the economic involvement of tourism along with significant efforts which are required to guarantee that data collection is efficiently persistent and participatory. One of the fundamental parts of the paper comprising systematic data collection, exploration and distribution are regarded to be immensely essential and thus may be aligned by the important Statistical Framework for Measuring Sustainable Tourism (MST) that is being promoted by the UNWTO with the support of UN Statistics Division (United Nations general assembly 2017).
Comparison of the Two Discussion Papers
It has been noted that both the discussion papers have been able to provide highly appealing prologue of the issues they have been focusing on related to the persistent devaluation of heritage tourism and the prospective propensity of tourism in the process of sustainable progress. Though the paper published by National Heritage Tourism Summit has been able to provide substantial information of heritage sector which has losing its significance to drive transitions, innovations, advancements and revitalization of tourism development by providing strategic guidelines for action as well, the second paper with thematic sections have identified the role of tourism in sustainable development throughout the IY2017 period and the following years (National trust 2018). Similar to the issues identified in Tourism Planning Policy by Dredge and Michael Jenkins both the discussion papers have mentioned the essential tourism policy issues which further be structured surrounding the universal themes within tourism development (Dredge, Jenkins and Whitford 2011). The book has emphasized on the analysis of tourism centric planning policies completed by OCED that reveals several current tourism planning policies associated to competitiveness and sustainability challenges. However, the first discussion paper could not provide adequate information related to the role of federal agencies and programs that play a crucial role in tourism development (Dredge, Jenkins and Whitford 2011). Further invalidating the current developments are identified to be significant to the economic growth and prosperity of Australia and its tourism sector. It has been assumed that if Australia elevates its tourism market share by 5% it would equivalent over 7 million tourists as well as A$ 15 billion more in tourism costs in federal or national, state and local tax revenues (Dredge and Jamal 2015).
The topics, which have been discussed in this module, have facilitated my understanding of the tourism industry and the persistent issues and challenges it has been encountering. The tourism sector being one of the leading tradable sectors, especially in Australia, has been responsible for generating significant rate of revenues. However, regardless to all these beneficial factors, the tourism sector has been posed with certain critical factors related to the thriving decline in the prominence of heritage tourism and lack of funding in tourism sector leading to lower rate of sustainable development (Waligo, Clarke and Hawkins 2013).
Examining various factors of their assessment have facilitated me to achieve extensive level of knowledge of critically utilising discussion papers that have the propensity to develop as a concluding policy which primarily aim to focus on these pertaining challenges. These constructive understandings further will aid me to gather an enhanced perceptive and approach for the forthcoming assessment of this module.
References
Dredge, D. and Gyimóthy, S., 2015. The collaborative economy and tourism: Critical perspectives, questionable claims and silenced voices. Tourism Recreation Research, 40(3), pp.286-302.
Dredge, D. and Jamal, T., 2015. Progress in tourism planning and policy: A post-structural perspective on knowledge production. Tourism Management, 51, pp.285-297.
Dredge, D., Jenkins, J. and Whitford, M., 2011. Tourism planning and policy: Historical development and contemporary challenges. Stories of practice: tourism policy and planning, pp.13-35.
Jenkins, J.M., Hall, C.M. and Mkono, M., 2014. Tourism and public policy: Contemporary debates and future directions. Companion to tourism, pp.542-555.
Lee, T.H., 2013. Influence analysis of community resident support for sustainable tourism development. Tourism management, 34, pp.37-46.
Mason, P., 2015. Tourism impacts, planning and management. Routledge.
Nationaltrust 2018. [online] Nationaltrust.org.au. Available at: https://www.nationaltrust.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/National-Heritage-Tourism-Discussion-Paper-for-Summit-3.pdf [Accessed 9 Aug. 2018].
United nations general assembly, 2017. Discussion Paper on Sustainable Tourism for Development. Available from file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/2480657_1890730931_iy2017discussionpaperexecutive%20(1).pdf Accessed on 9 August 2018.
Waligo, V.M., Clarke, J. and Hawkins, R., 2013. Implementing sustainable tourism: A multi-stakeholder involvement management framework. Tourism management, 36, pp.342-353.
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