Theories and Practices of Hawaii Tourism Planning

Question: Critical evaluation and analyse of theories and practices of Hawaii tourism planning. Answer: Tourism is a worldwide phenomena and a very lucrative source of income for countries across the globe. Sustainability of tourism is a very crucial area to be taken care of and this requires a detailed and a comprehensive analysis, planning and managing of the tourism industry by formulating policies. This is the only industry which has the twin responsibility of addressing the social as well as economic aspect of the society. It is of utmost importance in todays scenario to have a full proof tourism plan in hand which will help to improvise upon the economic growth of a country, fight the competition and meet the demands and address the behavioural nature of the tourists (Llorca-Vivero 2008). Hawaii Island founded by Mark Twin is a cluster of islands with lush greenery and a warm climate throughout the year. It has a tropical climate. The people out there are very friendly and selfless in nature. The island is a mixed bag of various nationalities and due to this diversity it has its own unique culture. This perfect blend between the nature and the cultural segment is what makes tourism a significant earning area (Dunford 2004). Each destinations tourism policies and planning depends upon its cyclic state wherein it can maximize its profits from this industry. It is a huge industry if developed well and competition and survival is also easy if this trend is well read and analysed. The most important theory and practice of the Hawaiian Tourism planning is the preservation of nature. Tourists look forward towards a clean environment wherein the residents itself feel that they are leading a safe and a clean life. Their goal is simple Ola ka Aina, Ola ke Kanaka! (Healthy Land, Healthy People!). Thus they believe in one theory that is first keep its citizens happy and the tourists will automatically be attracted (Adams 2003). In the year 1999, the first tourism plan was devised by the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) by the name of Ke Kumu. The main purpose for the formulation of the same was to provide directions to the HTA for the strengthening of the tourism industry. The plan was based on two basic pillars competitive analysis and the product analysis. Its main focus was on sustainability of the tourism industry by pin pointing basically towards growing spending instead of the foot fall of the tourists. Further the Ke Kumu was revised after three years in the year 2002 which basically fine tuned the existing directive and incorporated inputs from the general public and the impact of the various events which took place globally such as the terrorist attach which took place in the year 2011 and had an impact on Hawaii Tourism (State of Hawaii, Hawaii Tourism Authority 2002). The Ke Kumu was revised on a continuing basis by the HTA so as to keep itself updated in this competitive scenario. It focussed on assessing the changes that has been taking place in the other countries which made it more attractive for the tourists, what changes they can do internally and the steps an measures to be taken for the development of this industry. The sensitiveness of the industry lies in addressing the tourists needs which is very critical in nature. This is what led to a conclusion that Ke Kumu alone is not enough for sustaining the Hawaii Tourism Industry and they needed to develop a more comprehensive and focussed plan so as to adhere to the needs as well as clarify the responsibilities of the stakeholders of the tourism industry. It is this that led to the formation of a ten year plan , Hawaii Tourism Strategic Plan 2005-2015 (TSP). Chart: State and County Tourism Strategic Plans It is a well known fact that success in any field cannot be achieved in isolation, hence the other stakeholder organizations and groups were encouraged to formulate there own plans in conjunction to their areas of responsibilities. Thus TSPs main task is to bring all stakeholders under one roof with one goal i.e. to make Hawaii a better place to live as well as tour. Hawaii is an island best known for its cultural diversity. The main economic activates witnessed in this state is that of tourist industry. The said industry gave the state a sustained economic growth for over three decades before a decline was noticed due to factors such as increase in the competition in the tourism industry, the Asian economies witnessing a down turn and the Persian Gulf War. However it witnessed a sudden upsurge in the year 2000, even though short term because of the 2001 attacks (Navor 2004). Today the main employment generating industry for the people of Hawaii is the tourism industry. The state has started to work upon the development of this segment keeping in mind the global scenario prevailing and the threats that they are posing to the visitor industry of Hawaii. For instance the terrorist attack in the year 2001 has made the security and the safety side more important. Travellers and the tourists have started to plan trips to places which address these iss ues on priority (Lim Cooper 2009). From a lay mans view point, a visitor industry basically caters to only hotel accommodations, airline and the railway industry, various tourist spots, eatery joints and the retail outlets , however in Hawaii since the main earning industry is tourism hence it has a considerable impact on the various private business houses, communities, government revenues, residents and the visitors. It not just confined to a small sector. Thus this calls for a healthy collaboration amongst the various interacting groups such as the communities, government agencies and the business hubs who would oversee this industry and ensure its healthy development. Thus these groups are to adhere to the directives spelt out by the TSP and proper implementation of the strategy outlined by the plan. This involvement of the various segments is possible only via a liaison by the Government Tourism and the HTA (Kreag 2001). It helps in beading the various kinds of the stakeholders in the future of the Hawaiis touris m industry. It basically has the work of co-ordination amongst the various agencies within the State Executive Branch so that the stakeholders undertake activities related to the tourism industry. These activities will further be monitored and measured in accordance with the set guidelines and the principles. Basis the result of the same an assessment report will be prepared by the HTA. Thus the basic topology to be adhered by the various stakeholder groups is self assessment by the various stakeholder groups in relation to the goals set by the TSP. The TSP gives certain inputs and suggestions which should be incorporated into the preset goals and objectives of the various entities thus driving their efforts towards achievement of the bright future in the tourism industry of Hawaii (www.hawaiitourismauthority.org, 2015). The next phase to the tourism planning at Hawaii takes into account the counties. There cannot be any standard strategy formulated for all islands in Hawaii due to uniqueness in there culture and values. Therefore to address this issue the HTA has allocated funds to the various counties so as to help them develop their own County Tourism Strategic Plans which will help them to resolve their tourism related issues while keeping in mind the overall policies and goals. Further to this the TSP plans are also being shared with the counties which would provide them a starting line. TSP is considered to be the founder of a bright future of Hawaii in the tourism industry. But the same can be successfully attained only upon amicable collaboration, partnerships and an overwhelming participation by the various stakeholders. To take the tourism industry of the state to the next level in the future decade is all dependent upon this success. Continued monitoring, testing, comparisons, evaluations and training amongst the stakeholders is a must to ensure that there is no noticeable deviation from the success path that is to be achieved at the end (Brunt Courtney1999). The success of the Hawaii tourism planning is measured basis four indicators namely the sentimental values of the locals, the tax revenues of the states and the counties, the amount spend by the tourists and the satisfaction of the visitors. These four measuring barometers are not the only one stated in the TSP. The specific initiatives undertaken by the various communities, organizations and the counties are measured differently, the above mentioned being the common parameters of measurements. Each initiative is measured basis some specific, pre-defined and specialized indicative methodologies over and above the general indicators so as to know the degree of success attained in view of the set standards and goals. The tourism Special Fund sponsors the survey of the Resident Sentiment which is to be conducted every two years. This basically tracks the attitudes and the responsiveness of the locals of the state towards this industry. Thus it will help to measure results in achieving the goals in the areas of communication, culture, safety measures and employment opportunities. The second is the revenues that the government earns which is very vital data which will enable to understand the revenue of the government which will in turn use the amount for the welfare of the society as a whole. Thus if the tax income is high then it portrays a very optimistic picture towards the visitor industry and vice versa. Data on visitor expenditure is another green area which marks the success of the tourism industry. This data will help to analyse the performance in the tourists product development segment and the marketing and research area. Higher visitor expenditure is the aim of every state who aims at th is industry as a major earning resource. Lastly and the most important measuring bar is the feedback from the visitors. This feedback is not on only overall experience but also individual components such as stay, food, hospitality, etc. The aim of the Hawaii Tourism Planning Strategy is to ensure that its visitors carry a comfortable yet unique, mesmerizing and a memorable experience back home (Goodno 2004). The main reason for the formation of the Tourism Strategic Plan was to ensure that Hawaii is able to achieve its target of a sustainable tourism industry which would generate adequate benefits to the economy as a whole and individual stakeholders as well. The two areas which make the state stand out amongst the others are its culture and the realm of natural resources. The Hawaii tourism plan addresses various areas which needs to be addressed as they are the main contributories to the development of the visitor industry and its stability. These are mentioned below. Transportation access Culture Realm of Natural Resources Safety measures Employment opportunities (Sustainable Tourism Study Native Hawaiian Advisory Group, 2003). For any tourism industry to be a success, a well knitted transportation system has to be in place. The transportation system offers ferries, flight, cruise, local buses, rented cars and taxis. The island is mainly dependent upon the airline industry and the island had to face huge resistance with regards security issues after the 2011 terrorist attacks. The transport services within the islands is also very expensive and the airport facilities are also not well developed. The visitors have given a bad feedback with this regards (Miller 2004). Apart from the airline industry the cruise segment is also very challenging as the infrastructural challenges are yet to be addressed. The Cruise industry in Hawaii is growing at a rapid rate but unfortunately the harbour facilities are not improving at a similar pace. Norwegian Cruise Line is expected to enhance its investment in this area and is targeting at a population of 520000 by the ear 2007 (Weaver 2010). Apart from these the local conve yance facilities, road conditions and the quality of services provided by the various transporters are also a challenge. Thus to address these issues some measures have been taken such as better scheduling of flights, better services at the airports such as faster check ins, immigrations and tighter security, better airport facilities as this is more used mode than the cruise. The Honolulu International Airport is one of the busiest airports of Hawaii (Ahn et.al. 2002). One of the most important contributor to the success of the tourism industry here is the unique cultural background that the island offers. The settlements in Hawaii of people belonging to diverse cultures has made it an attractive place for the tourists. The island follows the policy customers are always right Its the native culture of the island which makes it stand out amongst the others across the globe. However when it comes to culture, sentiments take a step ahead and it is this issue which needs to be addressed very carefully. If the residents of the island feel that the visitor industry is harming o-r in any way destroying their unique native cultural background then the said industry may have to face issues for development (Verbeek Mommaas 2008,). However the said issue is addressed very tactfully by augmenting a fruitful collaboration between the said industry and the various Native Hawaiian Organizations which would help in better communication and resolution of differenc es. Educating the visitors about the culture, supporting the various art and architectural programs are also other measures (Yamamoto et.al. 2005). The island is construed as a realm of various natural resources such as parks, waterfalls and beaches which are major tourist attractions. The visitors are more interested to visit nature in its raw form. The most famous Sea Life Park Hawaii is a marine mammal park, a bird sanctuary as well as an aquarium. The first of its kind which enables the tourists and the other visitors to interact with the birds and the mammals. (Alpizar 2006). The attraction does not end here. It calls for Hawaiian Reef Aquarium, Dolphin Cove Show and the Hawaiian Monk Seal Habitat. Though the same needs to be maintained as these natural attractions if not taken care can lead to loss of tourist attraction (Belle Bramwell 2005). After the terror attacks the most important issue that all tourism plans should address is safety and security. There has been some educative programs , stricter laws, addressing of crime such as drug abuse, adequate security system to be implanted across various important locations of the island and adequate help and assistance to be extended to the residents as well as tourists. These inculcations have made the island a more attractive tourist destination (Twining- Ward 1999). The said industry enables generation of job to every one out of five residents in Hawaii as per the data released by the Hawaii State Department of Business , Economic Development and Tourism. Various kinds of jobs are made available for which adequate training , education and awareness programs are conducted for the development of the existing and the future workforce so as to be able to provide high end services to its visitors. This has led to more support from the local people there and hence has enabled to boost the tourism industry (Budeanu 2007). Thus it is clear from the above evaluation that the Hawaii Tourism Industry is planning on a continuous basis on improving its existing services in this industry. The strategies of the said plan has been formulated towards addressing the needs of the stakeholders, preservance of the natural resources and the native culture. The TSP has been designed to ensure that there is a sustainable growth of the tourism industry in Hawaii supporting the economy of the island too. The states main aim and goal is to ensure that its visitors experience are memorable enough to attract them again to the said island. References: Dunford, B, 2004, Hawaii economy sizzles, Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Adams, C, 2003, Hawaii The Aloha State, The Rosen Publishing Group Inc., New York Belle, N., Bramwell, B., 2005, Climate Change and Small Island Tourism : Policy Maker and Industry Perspectives in Barbados, Journal of Travel Research, vol. 44, pp. 32-41 Lim, C. C. 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