Interpreting Tourism Destinations and Orienting Visitors and a Final Summing

This 32-page proceedings document from an e-conference on tourism development, organised by the World Bank Development Communication Division, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Development Communication and Sustainable Tourism Unit, and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), states that tourism, as the world's largest economic sector, can be a powerful tool for economic growth, poverty reduction, and for the conservation of natural and cultural resources. It discusses the role of communication for development in sustainable tourism. The cross-sectorial range of issues involving multiple local and national stakeholders includes trade and investment policy, employment and labour laws, enterprise development, public-private partnerships, community and urban planning, infrastructure development, conservation of cultural heritage and biodiversity, management of natural resources, safety and security, and education and workforce development.

The positive aspects of effective communication in sustainable tourism include facilitating management, exchange of stakeholder opinions for consensual solutions, links to markets, and visitor safety. Further, as stated here: "A comprehensive communication strategy, which should identify how information, awareness creation, advocacy, network building, conflict mitigation, and communication platforms will be supported, is essential for any successful sustainable tourism development activity."

Section 5 and the final summary, pp. 23-25, explain the communication steps vital to satisfying the visitor and then provide thirteen points gleaned from the conference. Communication for orientation of visitors includes signage (signs, posters, bulletin boards, highway markers, brochure racks, and restaurant menus) which educates and minimises confusion and facilities tourism with up-to-date information, including promotion of local businesses. Interpretation-based communication between visitors and local residents captures the story that is the essence of sustainable “place-based” tourism, both to create "branding" for the visitor, but also contribute to community education, pride, and sense of place for the residents. According to this document, cultural exchanges between residents and visitors require awareness of cultural norms and of the opportunities for cultural interaction. Community participation in creating signage and cultural material may be missed by site managers who consider their role to be custodial. However, often local tour operators take on the role of interpretation, which, as a substitute for signage, employs local entrepreneurial guides, who can create meaning, even more than information, for the visitors.



The document concludes with the following points on communication for policy development, community involvement, corporate social responsibility, linkages to markets, and visitor orientation and interpretation:

• involve stakeholders (including local
  communities) in decision-making;
• facilitate networking and sharing of
  information and knowledge;
• catalyse collaborative action;
• encourage private sector investments;
• advocate for necessary policy change;
• build skills and capacity;
• control expectations;
• support adoption of standards;
• develop demand for sustainable
  products;
• link tourism products to markets;
• explain cultural norms to visitors;
• enhance visitor experiences; and
• scale-up impacts.