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What Lessons Can Hong Kong Learn from Other Destinations in Asia Pacific?. Selected Challenges Facing Travel and Tourism Walter Jamieson. Hong Kong Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation April 15, 2005. Walter Jamieson. ALOHA. Background. Work for WTO
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What Lessons Can Hong Kong Learn from Other Destinations in Asia Pacific? Selected Challenges Facing Travel and Tourism Walter Jamieson Hong Kong Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation April 15, 2005 Walter Jamieson
Background • Work for WTO • Canadian project at Asian Institute of Technology • Ongoing sustainable consultancy and research with UN ESCAP
TRENDS • More regional travel in Asia • China in/outbound • Fastest growth rate in the world is in Asia • Shorter and more vacations • More independent travel
Negative Benefits Net Benefit + = Challenge Positive Benefits Are the community and natural and cultural resources better off after tourism?
If tourism development is to be sustainable it must move away from its traditional growth oriented model to one concerned with a sustainable set of goals and principles.
Governments at all levels must actively conserve heritage resources and ensure that quality conservation work is carried out.
Tourism strategies and plans must be linked with a broader set of initiatives and community or economic development plans.
Plans must include a number of factors including such issues as tourism related infrastructure, facilities and services, visitor attractions, impact appraisals, marketing & promotion and human resource development
Need to know many tourists can be accommodated without threatening the long-term viability of a site or a destination.
Funds must be provided to ensure that ongoing product development occurs.
Ecotourism Nature Cultural Health/Wellness Urban Adventure Adrenaline holidays Edutourism Gay Seniors/Third-agers Shopping Pop culture Farm Home stays Technical Industrial Sports Fantasy sports Religious/pilgrimage Marine Soft holidays Food/culinary Volunteer Gap year Emerging Forms of Tourism
Cooperation among all stakeholders including local government officials, attractions and sites, local businesses and tourism operators is essential.
Impact assessment of tourism development on heritage resources and communities must be carried out including physical, natural, social, and cultural limits.
The monitoring of change and impacts must be seen as an essential aspect of the tourism planning and management process.
Indicators which are of immediate use as well as capable of producing comparable data sets must be identified and implemented.
Interpretation of natural and cultural resources must be seen as an essential aspect of the tourism management process.
Need to develop human capacities at all levels of the tourism industry.
There is a need for creative financing approaches that involve innovative public, private and community initiatives.
Managing visitors by limiting or restricting entry to areas and regions.
Need plans that restrict or limit entry to an area or region using a range of quota, pricing and site management techniques.
Quality assurance must be seen as an essential element in all development and operation activities.
Poverty reduction has to be seen as an overriding issue in all tourism planning and management.
LONG TERM VIEW Tourism and travel must have a long term view in planning and management.