BML111 - THE HOST COMMUNITY

BML111: Tourism, Events & Destinations: Impacts & Sustainability

The Host Community

Aims ยง To identify the key stakeholders in the host community ยง To outline the rationale for community involvement in tourism ยง To consider the issues and costs of community involvement in tourism ยง To highlight the relationship between the host community and the VFR market ยง To consider the relationship between tourism and the host community through the example of Studland Bay

Defining the Host Community Activity 1: Watch the video showing community engagement with the National Trust in Studland Bay Consider: • Who are the main stakeholders? • What are their concerns?

Defining the Host Community Activity 2: Split into small groups and consider the following: • Who is the host community? • What is the rationale for community involvement? • What are the costs of community involvement?

Key Stakeholders Individual local residents Resident / community groups and amenity associations

Central government agencies and departments Local businesses / Chamber of Commerce

Interest groups [history Multi-national organisations / societies / ramblers’ groups] trans-national corporations The voluntary sector

Employers’ organisations

Quangos and NGOs

Unions

Tiers of local government / elected representatives

Defining the Host Community The Destination Management Handbook

[Source, TMI, 2003, p. 4]

The Rationale for Community Involvement

Key areas of consideration: Ensuring a warm welcome for visitors to the destination Reducing the potential conflict between tourism and the host community Central to planning for sustainable tourism [VERB] An understanding of community attitudes is essential to win community and political support Raises local awareness about the value and significance of the tourism industry

The Rationale for Community Involvement

Key areas of consideration: Ascertaining the ways in which tourism can support the community’s economic, social and cultural needs Understanding the ways in which tourism’s negative effects on the community can be minimised Making use of local knowledge to ensure that decisions are well informed Contributing to local distinctiveness Community involvement and links to VFR Community involvement are important components in competitive funding bids

Issues and Costs of Community Engagement

Key areas of consideration: Adds to the cost of tourism planning and development The consultation process can add to the length of the development / planning period - consultation must be fully inclusive Same faces / same messages - can be disruptive and distracting to the consultation process Creation of a need for continued contact and communication Community consultation can raise expectations that need to be managed

Issues and Costs of Community Engagement

Key areas of consideration: 혰 The motivation and interest of the host community - insular and protectionist stance of SMEs 혰 Apathy of the host community 혰 Selling the benefits of consultation - getting the host community on board 혰 The representativeness of the consultation process, and the power of local interest groups (multi-national corporations) to deny opportunities for development

Issues and Costs of Community Engagement

Key areas of consideration: — The context of strategy / policy frameworks facilitating community involvement — Public has difficulty in understanding complex and technical planning issues — The public does not understand how the planning process operates or how decisions are made

Host Community Concerns

Environment Volume of people Traffic congestion and parking difficulties Wear and tear on natural areas/pollution Maintenance of buildings and open spaces Imbalance in the types of shops Impact on local culture Modification of, or support for, new tourism developments Heightening tourists’ and residents’ awareness and appreciation of the community’s natural and cultural heritage

Host Community Concerns

Economy New tourism jobs and maximising incomes Business investment opportunities Wider markets for local products Improved opportunities for skills training and job promotion Harnessing of the knowledge, skills and expertise of the local community Pooling of financial resources and promotional effort Better understanding of the benefits and opportunities tourism brings to the community

Host Community Concerns

Equality Effective communication and understanding between different community and interest groups, and those who can help meet their concerns Sharing of expertise and ideas The contribution of residents’ information, expertise and ideas Mobilisation of public opinion Power structures – international perspectives

Host Community Concerns

Empowerment The community to take charge of projects, which would not otherwise be carried out Formal consultation in the publication of strategy documents Formal community representation on working parties and consultative forum An increasing degree of community influence over decisions allocating resources and services Mobilisation of positive political attitudes towards tourism Recognition that local statutory authority responsibility for public consultation is achieved

The VFR Market The Value of the VFR Market: The number of VFR trips taken rose by 13% in 2015, to 40.6 million, the highest recorded total since 2006, while spending reached a record level (in nominal terms) of £4.7 billion, representing a 15% increase year on year Both holiday and so-called “duty” VFR saw growth in 2015, with volumes for both categories up by 13%, and spending up by 12% and 15% respectively

The VFR Market The VFR Market:

[Visit England Domestic Overnight Trips Summary – VFR 2015]

The VFR Market The VFR Market – Month Trip Taken:

[Visit England Domestic Overnight Trips Summary – VFR 2015]

Defining Community Engagement Key areas of community engagement: 혰 Information - providing information on what is happening 혰 Consultation - asking for views on one or more options 혰 Involvement - members of the community work with other stakeholders to formulate options and strategies 혰 Participation - facilitation techniques enable the community to formulate options and strategies

Community-Based Tourism Initiatives

Tourism Concern

Summary At the end of this session you should be able to: ยง Identify the key stakeholders in the host community ยง Outline the rationale for community involvement in tourism ยง Consider the issues and costs of community involvement in tourism ยง Highlight the relationship between the host community and the VFR market ยง Identify examples of community engagement