Sustainable Community Planning in Tourism

Important of Community Planning in Tourism

Tourism is a sector that provides important contributions to the economy of that country. Especially many developing countries use tourism sector as economical development. Sustainable community will effects of tourism as well as the economical effects of tourism local community.

Community Participation in Tourism

Experiences of community-based tourism seek to achieve sustainable development, so that communities can improve their living conditions without disappearing and without give negative impacts to the environment. Some communities think tourism is separate from community. But actually the tourism is clearly gathers community together. An achievement cannot be succeeded with the tourism conducted according to this view point, because compatibility between tourism and community' economical and social life cannot be achieved. (Gun & Var, 2001). Beside that, the controlled development of tourism industry depends on the good will and help of community because the local community is the part of this product. If development and planning are not conducted in a compatible way with local demand and capacity, resistance and hostility destroys tourism industry as a whole (Timothy, 1999:373). Local community and its values are important for the tourism and tourists. Tourists gain important experiences by acknowledging the socio-cultural properties of society at the places they visit. Participation of society in tourism planning in community based tourism means “Gathering of community leaders, local community, other shareholders (sectoral representatives, non-governmental organizations) and their holding meetings in which tourism development targets are discussed and exchange of ideas is carried out” (Timothy,1999:373; Bahaire & White, 1999:248).

There are some methods used to ensure community participation.  (Dresen et al., 2002)

a) Awareness and Training Methods:

Methods of community participation has beencreated for community to be aware of planning and participation activities and to providethem to participate more.-

Community announcements and notices:

This method needs the least legalnecessity for announcing the community participation opportunities. It is posted on billboards where the community is present or published in newspapers.-

Exhibitions:

Maps, pictures or texts are arranged as posters and announced at the places where traffic is intense and community gathers mostly.

Direct mailing:

This is the method of sending the written information collectively and creating awareness. If message to be sent is easy, the best understood and easy method is direct mailing.-

Community calendars:

In this method, working calendar is filled with information about planning methods, important meeting dates and pictures or photographs provided by students or adults in working area.-

Other methods

News posts, community education meetings, web sites, media relationships are other awareness and education methods that provides community participation