Regulation, research and development in tourism

The roles of government are vital to tourism. Governments set the policy of their country towards tourism and are involved in its development. Also they regulate the different components of the industry on a day-to-day basis. Governments perform the research and analysis that result in statistics of tourism. They are actively engaged in promoting a flow of tourism.

One of the ways in which countries or regions can promote tourism is by relaxing the kind of regulation that usually comes under the heading “red tape”. Travel is made easier when there are no visa requirements and when the entry formalities are simple. National policy can also discourage tourism. In some cases, this may work to prevent the country’s nationals from travelling outward. Any country can discourage tourism simply by not providing accommodations and catering services or by restricting the length of time a traveler can stay in a country. Some countries have set visa and entrance requirements that severely restrict entry.

Governments at all levels are also involved in day-to-day regulation of the tourist facilities, including various kinds of licensing. A license is a document giving permission to carry on a particular kind of activity after meeting standards and paying fee. For example, there is the official system used in France and other countries, for rating accommodations establishments according to objective standards.

Research involves travel statistics, tourist expenditures, the purpose of travel or the tourist’s reaction on his vacation. Much of the purpose of research simply involves a classification count – business, pleasure, visiting friends or relatives, health and so on. Deeper research tries to find out why tourists visited a particular resort and what their reactions were.

Another kind of research involves trying to determine the social impact of tourism on an area. Most governments now try to regulate the location and density of new developments, thereby spreading the economic benefits more widely. There must be an indirect investment in the form of building or improving the infrastructure which is necessary before the development.

Another way in which government encourage tourism is through training programs for service personnel. Also it usually attempts to determine the market potential – the number of travelers it can hope to attract. This is followed by studies of the environmental impact – what tourism will do to the natural surroundings. Actual planning and development include improvement of the infrastructure, financial arrangements, and construction of the superstructure. The tendency at present time is strongly in favour of careful research and planning instead of unrestricted growth and expansion.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14