- Proposal for the preparation of a tourism plan or policy
You are to prepare a discussion paper proposing the preparation of a new tourism plan or policy to address an emerging tourism issue. For example, this issue might be an emerging crisis such as the global financial crisis; or an outbreak of a transmittable disease such a avian flu; or a long-term issue such as climate change, coral bleaching or even a planned deviation of a major highway to bypass a tourist town.
You will have to make a number of decisions in order to narrow your focus. Remember the more focused the tourism issue the subject of your report, the more targeted your research will be and easier it will be to write your assignment!
You may choose one of the following, or make up your own based on your own interests, experience or knowledge:
national tourism planning - e.g. propose a plan/policy to address current issues with domestic market stagnation. (See Tourism Research Australia. 2008 Through the looking glass: The future of domestic tourism in Australia.)
local destination tourism planning - e.g. propose a response plan to manage the effects of the global economic crisis on a local government area
protected marine environments - e.g. propose a policy to manage possible visitor impacts on a marine cultural heritage site
protected lands - e.g. propose a plan to manage adjacent landowner access to national parks
indigenous tourism - e.g. propose the development of an indigenous tourism strategy.
The report will contain the following information:
1. position statement (approx. 300 words) – this statement clearly indicates all the assumptions you have made about who you work for, the agency’s goals and the particular goals and objectives of the policy issue or problem that your paper is addressing. This serves as the introduction
2. background context (approx. 1000 words) – a discussion of issues that have influenced the emergence of this particular issue, ensuring that you have research and properly referenced your discussion
3. a statement of need (approx. 1000 words) – a background statement on why the tourism plan is needed (consider the role of government, business and other stakeholders, and its possible reasons for government intervention)
4. scope of the proposed plan (approx. 500 words) – identification of possible policy approaches and instruments that the plan or policy will consider (this helps scope or provide direction to those who might be preparing the plan/policy)
5. proposed process (approx. 200 words) – an outline of a proposed planning process including details of consultation, implementation and review
6. a bibliography, including at least 20 references that you have cited in the discussion paper. No more than 7 references are to be web sources and at least 10 references must be academic references.
