Tourism Planning and Destination Marketing: Towards a Community-Driven Approach a Case of Thailand
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Tc.urism Planning and Destination Marketing: Towards a Community-Driven Approach A Case of Thailand A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy At Lincoln University By Jutamas (Jantarat) Wisansing Lincoln University 2004 Abstract of a thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Tourism Planning and Destination Marketing: Towards a Community-Driven Approach A Case of Thailand By Jutamas (Jantarat) Wisansing This thesis argues that while analysing markets and developing strategies to exploit the external market place and to attract tourists remains a central focus for tourism marketers, it is not enough on its own to achieve sustainable tourism destination development. The researcher substantiates this argument by exploring the 'participatory tourism planning' concept in detail. Based on this approach, the community is identified as a primary customer for whom tourism marketers have ignored involving in their marketing attention, messages and programmes. The fundamental concept - marketing orientation and customer orientation - combined with emerging marketing theories were reviewed.in order to help examine how destination marketing, a community-driven approach, should be implemented within a destination area. This examination of marketing and community based tourism planning set a platform for this research. This analysis examines relevance, applicability and potential for an integration of these two pervasive approaches for tourism planning. ii Guided by the theoretical examination, an integrated community-based tourism planning and marketing model was proposed. In order to explore gaps between the proposed model and its practicality, three destination areas (Phuket, Samui and Songkla-Hatyai) in Thailand were studied and evaluated. At this pragmatic level, this thesis identified impediments confronting national and local tourism organisations. The findings of this study draw a particular attention to institutional challenges which require clear identification of responsibilities and coordination of all actors involved in the planning and marketing process. These selected case studies have not only provided critical commentaries to assist tourism planners improve strategically their marketing approaches within community tourism planning, but they also have helped provide avenues for future research. Key Words: Community Participation, Tourism Planning, Tourism Marketing, Societal Marketing, and Thai Tourism iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I wish to express sincere appreciation to Professor David G. Simmons, who has inspired me to be passionate about tourism studies. He has been supportive throughout the learning process in the field. I also would like to record my special thanks to Dr. Alison McIntosh, my co-supervisor, for her assistance and guidance. I would like to formally acknowledge the members of the Human Sciences Division and postgraduate community from whom I have learned and been provided with different perspectives and extensive tourism knowledge. I wish to acknowledge all respondents for their cooperation, being very open and providing the most valuable insight for my study. This thesis has been a self-indulgencing project. Completing a PhD thesis is challenging, being pregnant and having given two births, one to my daughter in 2002 and the other one to my son in 2003 definitely added an unimaginable dimension to it. Thank you Chloe and Ton-KIa!! Special thanks must go to my very special husband, Chokdee 'Sunny' Wisansing- for love and joy you have brought to my life. Last words are for my parents who have given me strength and courage, made me always believe in myself and provided me everything I need for the pursuit of the ultimate in education. For my beloved dad (Jaroon Jantarat) Jutarnas (Jantarat) Wisansing IV CONTENTS PAGE ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .......................................................................................... iv CONTENTS .......................................................................................................... v LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................. viii LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................. .ix CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1 1.1 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES .................................................................................................................... 6 1.2 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ............................................................................................................. 6 1.3 CONTRIBUTIONS, SIGNIFICANCE, AND RESEARCH ORIGINALITy ...................................................... 8 1.4 THESIS ORGANISATION .................................................................................................................. 1 0 CHAPTER 2 TOURISM PLANNING: ............................................................................................... 11 CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVES AND ISSUES ...................................................................... 11 2.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 11 2.2 THE EVOLUTION OF TOURISM PLANNING THOUGHT ...................................................................... 11 2.2.1 Boosterism: more is better ..................................................................................................... 14 2.2.2 Economic Approach ............................................................................................................... 14 2.2.3 Tourism Impacts: A cautionary perspective ........................................................................... 16 2.2.4 Alternative Forms of Tourism: Adaptancy platform .............................................................. 19 2.2.5 The Community Approach: Comprehensive and coordinated goal-settingframework.......... 21 2.2.6 Integrative Approach - knowledge based platform ................................................................ 23 2.2.7 Interim Summary: Marketing within the Evolution of Tourism Planning .............................. 24 2.3 COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION: AN OVERVIEW ................................................................................ 26 2.4 COMMUNITY BASED TOURISM PLANNING ...................................................................................... 30 2.4.1 What is the 'community'? ....................................................................................................... 31 2.4.2 Community Stakeholder and Representation ......................................................................... 35 2.4.3 Community Readiness ............................................................................................................ 36 2.4.4 Government Roles and Support: Seeking the Change Agent or Convenor ............................ 39 2.4.5 Power Relations - Elitist and Pluralist Views ........................................................................ 42 2.4.6 Interim Summary .................................................................................................................... 43 2.5 CHAPTER SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................... .47 CHAPTER 3 TOURISM MARKETING: .......................................................................................... 50 CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVES AND ISSUES ...................................................................... 50 3.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 50 3.2 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MARKETING AND PLANNING OF DESTINATIONS ..................................... 51 3.3 AN OVERVIEW OF THE MARKETING CONCEPT ............................................................................... 60 3.3.1 Fundamental Concepts ........................................................................................................... 60 v 3.3.2 Micro versus Macro Marketing .............................................................................................. 63 3.3.3 Societal Marketing: Marketing with a Social Dimension ....................................................... 65 3.3.4 Social Marketing .................................................................................................................... 75 3.3.5 Stakeholders: Primary and Secondary Consumers ................................................................ 76 3.3.6 Interim Summary .................................................................................................................... 79 3.4 CHAPTER SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................... 80 CHAPTER 4 DESTINATION MARKETING ................................................................................... 82 A COMMUNITY BASED APPROACH ............................................................................................. 82 4.1 INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................................................