Development of Tourism at Clipper Bay

The development of tourism activity in an area requires proper planning to be effective. Such a plan is an attempt to look into the prospects of the project regarding environmental impacts, the sociocultural impacts, and the economic impacts. The legal structures that may influence the development of the project are also the important aspect that needs to have a proper evaluation before the project is initiated. A tourism related project that takes places in a natural environment should have adequate planning and assessment before the ultimate roll out. This paper looks into the core areas needed to be evaluated before tourism activities commence on Clipper Bay Town. It focuses on the utilization of the common resources available at the place including the natural waters, land, forests, and the available mountain resources. Moreover, it features the socioeconomic evaluations in terms of the advantages and the disadvantages based on the cost-benefit analysis. Environmentally, the paper presents the merits and the demerits of setting up the tourism project in Clipper Bay town.

Introduction
Tourism planning is an insightful focus on to the future consequences challenges, risks, and benefits that a town may get from the development and the expansion of the tourism related activities in their cultural, social and economic surroundings. Tourism planning takes various milestones from tourist activity exploration, involvement, and development, to consolidation, stagnation, and rejuvenation or decline.

When properly carried out, tourism planning can lead to high yields, green tourism, and sustainable long-term tourists’ activities in an area. However, when tourism planning is poorly done or not done at all, it may lead to environmental degradation, economic loss and non-sustainability in an area. Therefore, tourism planning is an important activity that must be effectively carried out to realize the desired tourist activity outcome, or it may lead to tourism failure in a given area. A well thought out tourism plan will yield economic, social and environmental returns while a poorly planned tourism activity may lead to pollution, financial loss and social degradation. A proper tourism plan requires various stakeholders brought on board. The local environmentalists, the economists, the cultural custodians and the local population must come on board to have a workable quality plan. Involving all the stakeholders is an important activity that would ultimately give proper returns from the tourism activities in an area. This paper gives an inquest study into the need for tourism planning development at Clipper Bay Town.
Importance of Consulting With Relevant Stakeholders
Clipper Bay is a place that comprises several natural resources that can develop strong tourism activities. The town has such resources as nearby hills, natural large water bodies, cultural endowments and other economic activities including artifacts and fishing. Most of these endowments are important for the development of strong tourism activities that would give the town favorable returns when properly managed. On the other hand, the resources can be exhaustible if not properly managed and planned for their usage in the tourism sectors (Berkes, 2001). Other resources in the Clipper Bay locality that would be very important for tourism development include land and a strip of forest that borders the town, as well as the limestone caves that forms unique pools of water. Moreover, the fertile land that is important for the development of agricultural activities can supplement food production and tourism. The flat topography of the town is important for any development, and it has seen the development of roads that can make the accessibility to core areas much easier. The small population of the town would be important for the development of the needed tourism attraction points as much of the land is not put to human settlements. Clipper Bay presents some of the unique and necessary resources that would create viable tourism activities when properly managed.
Therefore, planning for the development of tourism activities in the area would be an important effort that would lead to optimal utilization of the available resources (Eagles, McCool, & Haynes, 2002). To have an ambient plan in place, various stakeholders need to have active and direct input in the process. There is a need to develop a connection with the development and the use of the resources to allow for sustainability. In this regard, the environmentalists would be an important category of people who will provide important environment-related information; the local government would provide important legal structures, and the economists will help in the development of the tourism’s financial planning. The locals are an important set of stakeholders who may be useful in the development of the cultural values.
The Role of the Environmentalists
Environmental preservation is important in the development of any activity in an area (Neto, 2003). The natural environment like forests, the limestone caves, and the natural waters, as well as the local hills, provide very important environmental opportunities for the development of the tourism sector. Since most of the naturally provided environmental factors are prone to exhaustion and degradation (Harte, 2007), involving stakeholders from such sectors would be important in their utilization. Environmentalists would be useful in showing how the natural beaches can be improved to avert any form of pollution. Moreover, the environmentalists can advise how to improve the agricultural activities without interfering with the natural water resources. For instance, the use of agricultural chemicals can easily get to be detrimental to the marine life, and so poisoning most of the fishes that can support tourism (Wilson & Tisdell, 2001). The building of inroads may also destroy Clipper Bay’s ecosystems, but environmentalists can give proper advice on how best the two can be made to work together for tourism environmental sustainability.
The Roles of the Economists
For the development of any project, it is important to evaluate its success through costs and benefits analysis. The costs of putting up a project should be lower than the possible benefits that the local community can get from the project (Hanley & Spash, 1993). In this regard, if the costs are more than the benefits from the project, then the project is not viable. If the benefits are more than the costs, then the projected is considered viable (Zhang, 2005). Through the analysis of the present value, and the future value of the project, economists are in a position to advise the stakeholders whether they can go ahead and continue implementing the viable projects, or if they may need to stop pursuing the non-viable projects. If the economists are not involved in the tourism planning, there are possibilities that a non-viable project may consume a lot of time and money, and later fail.
The Role of the Local Community
For any project to succeed, capacity building among the local population is very important (Mansuri & Rao, 2004). Therefore, involving the local community as part of the tourism planning stakeholder is a viable way to plan for and develop tourism activities at Clipper Bay. The locals are the direct beneficiaries of the project proceeds. Educating the locals on the types of investments that they can venture to be in line with tourism needs is, therefore, important. The type of fishing, the cultural activities and the development of the handicrafts are some of the other areas in which the society must be sensitized to align their efforts with the tourism needs. It is in this aspect that the society must know how to develop sustainable resources in the process, this leading to the success of the tourism activities planning and development.
Using the Concept of Comparative Advantage and CBA
The development of tourist project is important if it can be properly evaluated for success. The concepts of the comparative advantage as well as the cost and benefit analysis are important in gauging the value of the investments as compared to the opportunity costs (Boardman et al., 2006). The resources necessary for the development of the tourism activities like agricultural land, beaches, and forests, are limited in supply, planning must focus on the extent of damage realized in the development of the tourism activities. If the advantages are evaluated to be more than the disadvantages for the project, then it would be pursued. Otherwise, it would be a non-viable project if the disadvantages are more than the advantages. Cost and Benefit Analysis (CBA) is an important tool that would evaluate and availed the value of investments including direct cash injections and the damages the investment may cause at Clipper Bay, and the value of the sustainable returns the investment in tourism would create. Projects with more benefits should be pursued only if the benefits are sustainable for a longer period. However, projects that are not suitable will only lead to wastage and environmental degradation.
Important Considerations in Having Infrastructure
Tourism development and planning can only be beneficial to a community of there is well-developed infrastructure (Liu, 2003). Road networks are important for communication and traveling purposes, and so tourists can easily reach the places of interest without delay. Hotels, restaurants, and accommodation infrastructures are important for the development of comfortable, safe and convenient places to abode. Telecommunication and other network structures are important for phone communications and internet development. Such structures are all important when properly developed at Clipper Bay so that tourists can find most convenience whenever they visit the place. As a result, the local government and the tourism stakeholders in the place must ensure that there is adequate and very reliable infrastructure that can attract more tourists to the place for sustainability.
Consequences of Developing Tourism at Clipper Bay
Tourism planning can reveal some potential advantages that are useful in the development of tourism activities at Clipper Bay. The major benefit to the local economy is that there will be more money inflows and economic growth. As more tourists flock the place to see the developing sites of interests, the locals will be able to receive more financial and economic benefits from the cash inflows. Moreover, the community is likely to experience increased levels of social exposure and civilization. A society that is more open to the other cultural practices can be able to embrace the positive values in other cultures as they retain the positive values in the native cultures. Cultural infusion, therefore, makes it possible to explore and develop a dynamic culture that can adapt better to the situational changes.
Also, tourism lead to the increased development of the social amenities. As the local government and the local community strives to have quality roads, beaches, drainage systems and controlled pollution as well as accommodation facilities, the local community also benefits from such social amenities. Similarly, the development of the tourism activities will lead to natural resource conservation and environmental care. Therefore, the local community has the rare chance to experience increased efforts to preserve the natural ecosystems in the native forms, preserve the beaches, the forest, the hills and the waters.
However, lack of proper tourism planning can be detrimental to the environmental, social and economic factors in a place. When not controlled, the rate of exploitation t a given resource may be higher than the rate of its rejuvenation. For instance, non-controlled use of the natural and public beaches increases the risks of higher pollutants and the ultimate deterioration of the beach qualities. The vicious cycle would then lead to the decline of the tourist’s numbers. On the other hand, the development of tourism activities at Clipper Bay may lead to the cultural dilution, thus making the native culture to lose its luster. Similarly, there are possibilities of the development of environmental pollution along the beaches if there is no adequate intervention measure that can control the level of human activities related to the beaches, agriculture, fishing, and deforestation. Finally, there is the possible development of higher costs than benefits incurred in the tourism development if there is no adequate tourism planning in the place.
Potential Socio-Cultural Advantages and Disadvantages
There are some benefits that the sociocultural set up at Clipper Bay are likely to experience when tourism activities are properly planned and developed at the place. Initially, Clipper Bay will see increased civilization, increased cultural awareness, and increased interaction with information sharing. Societies can only exist and survive if there are adequate sharing and participation alongside other societies (Boud, 2000). Opening up Clipper Bay for tourism activities will infiltrate cultural diversification that may position the community for the future sociocultural changes. Also, there will be deliberate efforts take to improve cultures. The preservation of cultural values and initiatives that were taken to improve the tourists’ activities across the different generations is also an important event that can help in the development of the community.
On the other hand, non-controlled tourism activities may present the community with some sociocultural challenges. Areas, where intense tourism activities take place, have recorded the possible development of anti-social behavior from external influences (Millie et al., 2005). Non-controlled cultural infusions lead to cultural dilutions that can erode the valuable native culture that is worth preservation.
Potential Environmental Advantages and Disadvantages
Most of the sectors are likely to be left from the development of a properly planned tourism activities at Clipper Bay. For instance, the environmentalists would be enjoying high cases of environmental preservation, economic utilization, and environmental pollution and awareness. Such initiatives are likely to improve the value of Clipper Bay environmental values. It is a benefit that can only be achieved in the long run if the tourist’s activities remain viable. However, when not properly planned, over-exploitation of the resource like fishing may lead to environmental wastages. Agricultural pollution and encroachment into the forest land may lead to further soil erosions and environmental damages.
Conclusion
Tourism development activities are important aspects that need to be well thought out to realize results. When the stakeholders are involved in the development of tourists activities blueprint, a lot of focal considerations are put in place that can ensure tourism sustainability. As a result, it is also important to note that without proper planning for the tourism activities in an area, possible development of environmental, sociocultural and economic wastages are eminent. The project must thus be properly planned, developed, executed and sustainably maintained for the benefit of the local community, environmentalists, government agencies and the economists. In future, the need to have a sustainable development module remains important. Sustainability conceptualization on how renewable aspects of the project can be multiplied for the benefit of the project would be core. It is very useful that planning becomes the first instance of the tourist’s projects development.

References
Berkes, F. (2001). Managing small-scale fisheries: alternative directions and methods. IDRC.
Boardman, A. E., Greenberg, D. H., Vining, A. R., & Weimer, D. L. (2006). Cost-benefit analysis: concepts and practice (Vol. 3). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Boud, D. (2000). Sustainable assessment: rethinking assessment for the learning society. Studies in continuing education, 22(2), 151-167.
Eagles, P. F., McCool, S. F., & Haynes, C. D. (2002). Sustainable tourism in protected areas: Guidelines for planning and management (No. 8). IUCN.
Hanley, N., & Spash, C. L. (1993). Cost-benefit analysis and the environment (Vol. 499). Aldershot: Edward Elgar.
Harte, J. (2007). Human population as a dynamic factor in environmental degradation. Population and Environment, 28(4-5), 223-236.
Liu, Z. (2003). Sustainable tourism development: A critique. Journal of sustainable tourism, 11(6), 459-475.
Mansuri, G., & Rao, V. (2004). Community-based and driven development: A critical review. The World Bank Research Observer, 19(1), 1-39.
Millie, A., Jacobson, J., Hough, M., & Paraskevopoulou, A. (2005). Anti-social behavior in London: setting the context for the London Anti-Social Behaviour Strategy.
Neto, F. (2003, August). A new approach to sustainable tourism development: Moving beyond environmental protection. In Natural Resources forum (Vol. 27, No. 3, pp. 212-222). Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Wilson, C., & Tisdell, C. (2001). Why farmers continue to use pesticides despite environmental, health and sustainability costs. Ecological Economics, 39(3), 449-462.
Zhang, X. (2005). Financial viability analysis and capital structure optimization in privatized public infrastructure projects. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 131(6), 656-668.