[PDF] Considerations for Updating the National Tourism Strategy for Belize

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White Paper

Considerations for Updating the National

Tourism Strategy

for Belize

June 2005

A Project Supported by CPEC

Prepared for the Belize Tourism Board

Belize - White Paper on Updating the National Tourism Strategy Table of Contents

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Background i

Tourism's Contribution i

Global Market Trends i

Tourism's Impact iv

Competitive Destinations v

The Implications for Updating the National Tourism Strategy vi

1. INTRODUCTION_____________________________________________________________________ 1

2. THE GROWTH OF TOURISM - INTERNATIONAL TRENDS________________________________________ 3

2.1 The Growth of Global Tourism in 2004 3

2.2 Tourism Growth in Belize 4

2.2.1 Market Origin 7

2.3 Market trends 7

2.3.1 Historic & Cultural 8

2.3.2 Geo-tourism 11

2.3.3 Adventure Tourism 13

2.3.4 Community Tourism 15

2.3.5 Cruise Tourism 16

2.3.6 Consumer Buying Behaviour 20

3. TOURISM'S IMPACTS________________________________________________________________ 23

3.1 Tourism and Biodiversity 23

3.1.1 The Multi-Stakeholder Approach to Sustainable Tourism 24

3.1.2 Moving Forward 26

3.2 Tourism and Economic Development 27

3.2.1 The Case of Small Tourism Enterprises 27

4. COMPETITIVE DESTINATIONS__________________________________________________________ 30

4.1 Tourism Planning 30

4.2 Tourism Standards 31

4.2.1 The History of Tourism Standards 31

4.2.2 Product Specific Standards 31

4.2.3 Standards, ethics, certification and guidelines 34

4.3 Marketing 35

4.3.1 Destination Marketing 35

4.4 Specialty Marketing 36

4.5 Partnerships and Collaboration 37

4.6 Human Resource Development 38

5. DESTINATION MANAGEMENT TRENDS____________________________________________________ 40

5.1 Managing Tourism as a Business 40

5.1.1 The Business Model for Managing the Tourism Sector 41

5.2 Policies and Regulation 42

5.3 A Market-Driven Orientation 42

Belize - White Paper on Updating the National Tourism Strategy Table of Contents

5.3.1 The Case of Belize Community Tourism 42

5.3.2 The Business of Tourism - How Much Investment? 44

5.3.3 Stayover versus Cruise - The Business of Tourism 46

5.4 Success Factors for Destination Management 47

6. IMPLICATIONS_____________________________________________________________________ 48

7. CONCLUSION_____________________________________________________________________ 54

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Belize - White Paper on Updating the National Tourism Strategy Executive Summary - i

Executive Summary

Background

The National Tourism Strategy for Belize was prepared in 1998. Considerable changes have taken place within the country's tourism industry and the global tourism sector has undergone significant transformations that influence Belize's market position. The 1998 strategy had set a minimum target

of 120,000 visitors per year by Year 5 and 140,000+ by Year 10. In sharp contrast to these forecasts,

the international visitor arrivals (overnight touris ts and same-day visitors) for Belize almost reached

800,000 in 2003, and exceeded 1,000,000 in 2004. The cruise sector has accounted for the majority

of this growth, increasing from 14,000 in 1998 to 851,000+ in 2004. This has created a significant

number of issues and challenges for the Belize tourism sector and is of particular concern in updating

the National Tourism Strategy. This White Paper reports on key global trends that should be considered in updating the National Tourism Strategy for Belize. Its purpose is to promote discussion and debate on the way forward for an updated National Tourism Strategy.

Tourism's Contribution

Tourism today generates US $6.2 trillion in expenditures and is expected to grow 4.6% per annum between 2006 and 2015. In 2005 the sector represents 6.5% of total global exports and contributes

3.8% of estimated total GDP. Taking into account spin-off effects, GDP contribution is estimated to

be 10.6%. The industry generated 74 million jobs or 2.8% of total world employment. Tourism is one of the top five exports for 83% of all countries and is the main source of foreign

currency for 38% of the world's nations. In Belize, the rate of growth in tourism has been significant.

The WTTC estimates growth for Belize in 2005 will be 9.4%, significantly more than the 3.3%

forecast for the Caribbean region and 5.4% globally. This organization further estimates that Belize

tourism in 2005 will generate 6,450 full-time job equivalents. Taking into account spin-off effects,

the estimated jobs attributable to tourism are 15,422. Tourism contribution to GDP is an estimated

7.8% and the tourism sector is increasing at an estimated growth rate for the next 10 years of 4.7%.

Global Market Trends

Land-based overnight tourists in Belize were dominated in 2004 by the United States market (59.5%) with Europe contributing 14.2% and neighbouring Guatemala 6.9%. The significance of the U.S. sector increases dramatically when the cruise market is examined as approximately 84% of worldwide cruise guests originate from the U.S. The strength of the Belize product and its international market position is reflected in the recent announcement of the top ten world adventure travel destinations in 2003. Looking at the global

vacation purchases of its adventure and experiential travellers, iExplore has ranked Belize as #9, up

from its position of #12 in 2002.

Experiential Travel

Belize is particularly well positioned for future growth in stayover tourism. The movement towards experiential tourism is evident in almost all facets of the industry and has become the primary consideration on the part of travel trade intermediaries. In 1998, the World Tourism Organization Belize - White Paper on Updating the National Tourism Strategy Executive Summary - ii

predicted that cultural and other closely associated forms of special interest tourism such as nature

tourism would be among the hottest trends of the 21 st

Century. This prediction was recently

confirmed by the Pisa Forum, an annual think-tank comprised of leaders of the global tourism sector, who noted that current market trends show that tourists are increasingly seeking experiential tours and offerings. Express Travel and Tourism (2003) added their voice to this viewpoint, noting that demand for authentic experiences that focus on local culture, learning, closeness to nature and wellness is on the rise, especially among older age groups. Recent research into the phenomenon has focused on two broadly defined market segments: Historic/cultural travellers - defined as travellers who tend to include some type of historical or cultural activities on their leisure trips; Geo-tourists - defined as consumers whose attitudes, behaviours and travel habit profiles show a high incidence of travel and a distinct preference for culturally and socially-related travel. They also tend to participate in educationally and socially-oriented activities and are socially and environmentally conscious. While these segments are overlapping, some key findings from the research are significant for

Belize:

the WTO estimates that 37% of all international trips include a culture/heritage component and that the market is growing at an annual rate of 15%; in the U.S. alone, it is estimated that 81% of U.S. adults that travelled in the last year are considered historic/cultural travellers (118 million); the geo-tourist market identified by the US Travel Industry Association (TIA) and the National Geographic Traveller identified a consumer market of 55 million of which:

21.2 million adult travellers are oriented to large city destinations and their cultural

experiences and attractions (urban sophisticates),

16.3 million travellers are distinguished by their interest in environmentally-oriented travel (Geo-Savvys); and

an estimated 34.5 million American adults are heritage tourism enthusiasts. The geo-tourism market segment is particularly interesting as it is the first study of its kind conducted by the Travel Industry Association of America to examine attitudes of tourists related to sustainable tourism behaviour. Their 2002 study showed at least 55 million Americans who could be classified as sustainable tourists who have high expectations for unique and culturally authentic travel experiences that preserve and protect the ecological and cultural environment. The study

indicated that a further 58 million travelling Americans could also be moving in this direction and be

classified in the future as "geo-tourists". The majority (39 million) of the geo-tourist market segment

seek the following activities: visiting destinations with authentic historic and archaeological sites; travel to experience people, lifestyles and cultures different from their own; believe it's important to learn about the destination's people, history and culture; and believe it's important that their visit to a destination does not damage its environment. Also of particular interest to Belize is the fact that 81% of the geo-savvy segment (16.3 million American adults) report that they prefer to stay in small-scale accommodations and visit small towns and rural areas. Belize - White Paper on Updating the National Tourism Strategy Executive Summary - iii Adventure tourism emerged in the last two decades as one of the fastest-growing market segments worldwide. The WTO's 1998 prediction that adventure tourism would be one of the hottest trends of

the next ten years remains valid today and Belize is particularly well positioned to take advantage of

this market. In America alone, the TIA estimated in 1997 that one-half of U.S. adults (98 million)

took an adventure vacation within the past five years. Over 12 million of these participated in scuba

diving or snorkelling, Belize's key adventure tourism market. In the case of scuba diving, industry experts in both North America and Europe report that the dive market will continue to grow as the tourism market generally, and adventure tourism in particular, grow. The community tourism market is an emerging segment that is not yet well defined. However, it is a natural outgrowth of market trends towards geo-tourists and heritage/cultural travellers. A recent

survey of tour operators interested in this product area (2004) demonstrated a high level of interest in

this segment and in Belize in particular.

Cruise Tourism Segment

Cruise tourism has grown exponentially in recent years and is forecast to generate 16 million cruise guests by 2009 in Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) member products. The primary source market for the cruise industry is North Ameri ca where growth is dramatic - a rate of about 7%

annually for the past 12 years. While growth in the industry is continuing, its nature is changing to

some extent. Capacity expansion in North America has increased steadily and price reduction

policies have been required to fill this additional capacity. The industry has accelerated its move to

shorter cruises and has moved to make the cost of a cruise more attractive by positioning to drive-to

markets. The International Council of Cruise Lines estimates that the total benefit of the cruise industry to the United States in 2002 was about US$20 billion. They further estimate that a

2,000-passenger ship with a crew of 950 generates approximately US$180,000 in on-shore spending

per U.S. port and the average port-of-call spend is US$82 per visit. The #1 area for cruises is the Caribbean region with 44% of the capacity placement in 2004. In Belize, growth has been dramatic with 406 stops in 2004 along with 851,436 passengers on board. Growth in the cruise industry and the Caribbean has generated considerable debate, particularly from the accommodation sector who identify a number of issues: uneven competitive base of the cruise sector vs. the accommodation sector (where the cruise industry enjoys a largely tax-free status while hotels continue to face taxes); lack of involvement from the regional cruise sector and regional marketing campaigns; and

little in the way of contribution by the cruise sector to regional social programs that benefit local

populations.

The Internet and E-commerce

No single marketing trend in the tourism industry in recent years has had the impact on the

destination-consumer relationship than the Internet. The growth in the "iTraveller", defined as those

who recently used the Internet to research and/or book travel, is significant and growing. A 2002 study showed that over one-third of Americans and one-quarter of Canadian households recently used the Internet to research and/or book travel. Americans, in particular, have gravitated to the Internet as a source of information and purchasing with two-thirds (68%) reporting on-line travel purchases on-line. Belize - White Paper on Updating the National Tourism Strategy Executive Summary - iv This trend has major implications for destination marketing. Competitive destinations are now investing heavily in web marketing. Designed to reach consumers but also to complement the destination's marketing relationships with the international travel trade and media, destination web sites are now encompassing the following functions: consumer-directed travel information including access to booking engines; special access for tour operators and wholesalers/travel agents to access information, image libraries and the like to facilitate their client management requirements; and special access to the media for news releases, information pieces, and images to facilitate travel writing. Thus, sophisticated destinations are combining traditional marketing methods with facilitating/enabling tools on the Internet for their customer base.

Tourism's Impact

The ongoing growth of the global tourism industry and the expectations that it will double in size by

2020 have fuelled considerable discussion on the question of tourism's impact.

The increasing awareness of the economic development potential of tourism together with concern over tourism impacts has motivated many destinations to become more strategic in their role in managing tourism sector growth. For years, there has been a focus on issues such as overuse of water resources, air pollution, land degradation, waste and litter probl ems, inadequate sewage

treatment, aesthetic pollution, habitat destruction and eco-system alteration have all been raised as

important areas to address when considering tourism impacts. Many destinations have emphasized program development, legislation and regulations to respond to the need for responsible environmental management of tourism's impact.

In recent years, international debate has evolved to concern about the opportunities and threats that

tourism presents for biodiversity conservation. Indeed, biodiversity was identified as one of the top

five priority areas for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development with potential negative impacts of tourism and biodiversity in local communities expressed in many areas: unplanned tourism that can often result in total landscape transformation in a very short period with significant habitat disruption; aggressive price discounting and other marketing tactics generating high volumes and resource degradation and depletion; and a lack of understanding regarding the nature of the environmental resource and the degree to which it can withstand development pressures (Caribbean coral reefs, for example, have been cited as a hot spot concern for biodiversity). The flip-side of this increasing concern is a growing appreciation that tourism can make significant contributions to local environmental management and the conservation of biodiversity. It can provide a source of financing and an economic justification for protected areas, offer economic alternatives for local communities, and raise awareness through interpretive practices about the importance of biodiversity. The discussion has evolved now to specific consideration for a multi-stakeholder approach to sustainable tourism. In the case of the World Travel and Tourism Council, they emphasize a partnership approach in their recent Blueprint for New Tourism Report (September, 2003) where the Belize - White Paper on Updating the National Tourism Strategy Executive Summary - v

tourism industry must partner with local authorities to ensure that tourism benefits match the needs of

national and local economies. This movement has resulted in a Convention on Biological Diversity that has led in February, 2004 to adoption of suggested guidelines on biodiversity and tourism development. The authors of these

guidelines are advising all governments to integrate them into their strategies and plans for tourism

development and national biodiversity. In the area of economic development, destinations are becoming increasingly aware of tourism's potential role in leveraging exports, attracting investment, and supporting local economic development. This is reflected of an integrated approach to economic development within a destination where tourism plays an integral role and serves as a strategic tool for national governments to achieve economic objectives.

Competitive Destinations

One of the most significant world trends in tourism today is the drive towards destination competitiveness to maintain and/or enhance market share. Increasingly professional approaches are being adopted by destinations to manage their tourism sectors including: sustainable tourism planning; community tourism initiatives; market-driven tourism standards; codes of ethics, certification and guidelines for nature, heritage and cultural tourism; e-marketing; specialty marketing; partnerships and collaboration; and human resources development and occupational standards certification. These national management trends have also evolved to incorporate more rigorous business principles in the approaches destinations are taking towards managing tourism sectors. The business model recognizes that tourism visitor expenditures are the "revenues of the business" and like any

other business, the destination needs to determine its competitive market niche, be responsive to its

marketplace and customers, invest in a sustained marketing effort, invest in its product including resource management (to protect significant resources in the destination) as well as the more traditional upgrading/improving to meet market-driven demands, and conduct market research to guide both marketing and product development. Destinations are also beginning to examine models where the business case for tourism's destination marketing budget is explicitly tied to itsquotesdbs_dbs25.pdfusesText_31

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