Strategic Planning As A Key Piece

Strategic planning as a key piece

Introduction.

When you think about tourism activity, aspects such as travel, enjoyment, gastronomy, routes, among others, but many times the negative impact that these activities can generate can generate are prevailing. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) provides that by 2030 more than 1 800 million people will be traveling around the world, which represents a great impact on the different destinations.

 Because tourism is considered one of the most polluting activities, representing 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, it cannot be denied that traveling contaminates, but that does not mean that it should be done. Since in order to minimize these impacts, adequate planning can be carried out. 

Fortunately, not everything is negative, since more and more tourists who consider sustainability as a criterion for making travel decisions, mainly to choose destiny, accommodation and transportation. It is estimated that almost 80% of travelers would choose a sustainable hotel and 34% would be willing to pay more to stay in them. So what should be done to achieve more sustainable tourism? Well, the answer is easy, everything focuses on strategic planning, since it will allow to guarantee from the beginning the success in development, efficient management and more sustainable management of tourism activity.

Developing.

The tourism sector has become one of the most important in the world, due to the fact of having a large number of people who work in it, as well as the number of tourists that increase each year.

It is an industry that, although a few centuries ago was something innocent and completely minority, today it arises as a powerful threat. The main reason why tourism is no longer the same is because it has been massified. Years ago, the only ones who could afford to travel were the people of high society, but today the trips are much more accessible in such a way that any person, with a basic salary, can afford to make at least one trip tothroughout the year.

But this tourist boom implies a series of risks on society and the environment that cannot be ignored, so it seeks to expand the diversification of the tourist offer protecting and improving the destination in all possible aspects. In other words, what is currently looking for is that sustainable tourism develops, but what is sustainable tourism?, Well the most accepted definition is what comes from the Lanzarote letter that explains that tourist activity must be ecologically bearable in the long term, economically viable and equitable, from an ethical and social perspective, for local communities. In this sense, sustainable tourism is a process that responds to the needs of tourists and communities where this activity is carried out, protecting and improving the future needs of all people who inhabit and visit the destinations.

To achieve the long -awaited sustainable tourism development, it is essential that companies and destinations have a strategic plan as a management tool, since this plan will guarantee, on the one hand, the correct integration of tourism in the economy, society, cultureand the environment;And, on the other hand, the adequate satisfaction of tourist demand. Unlike traditional planning that only focuses on the resolution of a certain problem, strategic planning serves as a tool at the service of the organization of tourist destination, focused on the use of internal strengths and external opportunities of the environment. 

Likewise, this planning has been very appropriate for tourism, since, from its application it is possibleThe adverse circumstances or problems that may be presented, considering that this sector is influenced by the constant changes that occur in the near environment, and also in national, regional and local contexts.

 Therefore, it can be affirmed that strategic planning is a key piece for the tourism sector to develop sustainability, since it allows to guide and define those different actors that affect the development of tourism, promoting synergies that increase the efficiency and effectiveness ofthe efforts. Strategic planning for sustainable development can be adapted to both destinations and tourism companies. And consists of three phases: the previous knowledge of the destination or tourist product;the diagnosis, analysis of the situation and evaluation of strategic options;and finally the implementation of the chosen strategy and the evaluation of the plan.

 The advantage of this planning is that it can incorporate or suppress elements according to the life cycle phase and the characteristics of the destination or the company in question, as well as the planner’s perspective. In the case of the development of tourist destinations, planning plays a fundamental role, since it allows to detect what are the most relevant problems that affect destiny, with the purpose of minimizing them. In addition, it helps optimize the profitability of resources (financial, human, economic, technological, natural, etc.) and the maximization of tourist satisfaction, thus making it a competitive and sustainable tourist destination. 

On the other hand, if you talk about the case of tourism companies, the planning process allows them to obtain, as efficiently as possible, a competitive advantage over their competence. In addition, planning also helps control and maintain positive results, allowing the continued study of strategic actions, to improve and correct failures in due time. 

Conclusions.

Thanks to all of the above, it can be interpreted that strategic planning if it plays an important role in the sustainable development of a tourist destination or company, since it guarantees the congruence between development trends and real implementation possibilities, which allows you to designspecific strategies and actions for each situation and increase their positive impacts. It also encourages the participation of the different actors related to tourism activity such as management agencies, the business sector, the local community, non -profit organizations, tourists, among others. 

In addition, as previously reflected, sustainability has become a fundamental aspect of tourism management, and both the governments of each destination and the companies in the sector should take it into account in their planning. Since a little sustainable management and rapid growth and not planned, it brings many negative consequences, especially serious damage to the environment.