A Development Plan for Tourism
The national tourism development plan (NTDP) presents policies and guidelines for all engaged practitioners on how to implement a collection of predetermined development plans and strategies in the tourism industry. Tourism develops in a destination when all its system elements are interrelated interactively and can introduce the destination as safe and secure. One of the elements in each destination is a government that the quality of its policy-making can pave the way for tourism development. However, Iran has not been able yet to provide a comprehensive NTDP, leading to inadequate benefits the country has gained from the industry. Today, it is a widely accepted notion by countries around the world that NTDP is an undoubtedly essential factor for tourism development.
The current author believes that the vital phases/elements in the formulation of an NTDP include a problem statement, goal setting, planning, and procedures. In this regard, the government has the main role to provide all public and private tourism-related organizations with necessary strategies using international advisors, a comparative analysis of successful and leading countries’ policies, and subsequent operational definition of glocalized models. Policy-making for NTDP should encompass educational, supportive, executive, reformative, and promotional measures. For example, in terms of reformative measures, the first subject to consider is to make favorable the attitudes of Iran’s authorities toward tourism and its role in the economy. This may lead to the formulation of growth strategies for different types of tourism and job creation accordingly. Furthermore, administrative reforms and avoidance of preventive bureaucratic procedures are other vital parts of reformative measures. However, what is of particular importance is to facilitate administrative policies about inbound tourists’ entry (e.g., visa issuance policies) and also to increase cultural and tourism interactions with other countries of the world. In terms of supportive measures, an NTDP should provide foreign and domestic investors and tourism projects with financial support. Consultation services and non-financial supports for investors are also other supportive measures that can lead to high-standard accommodations, recreational centers, and modes of transportation. In this regard, the tourism potential and capacities of different provinces of the country should also be taken into account.
Education, cultural knowledge, marketing and advertisement, and promotion of tourist attractions to draw the attention of domestic and foreign investors are other important elements of an NTDP. In a nutshell, the formulation of NTDP is undoubtedly an effective way for high-ranking managers and practitioners particularly those involved in tourism to develop this industry based on predetermined goals. This will come true, provided NTDP is regarded as the main source of guidelines and it will not be distorted or abandoned when governments and/or managers are changed.
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