Social capital, tourism and regional development: SPCC as a basis for innovation and sustainability

Traditional views of regional development have focused on economic factors and potential innovation in technical and resource exploitation processes. Similarly, regional tourism development is usually couched in economic terms, such as number of jobs and increasing land values. This approach usually ignores the social and community aspects of tourism development, thus an alternative view argues that the community needs to be factored into our planning and development strategies to balance the traditional economic view. It is argued in this paper that fostering innovation in regional development is much more than a process of community consultation. Rather, what needs to be factored in is SPCC - social, political and cultural capital. This works in both directions; tourism development depends on a level of social, political and cultural capital in order to be a successful regional development tool (even in economic terms) while at the same time tourism development can be undertaken in a way that contributes to SPCC in the region. The paper outlines the key concepts of social capital, political capital and cultural capital. It does so within the context of regional tourism development and the concepts of systems of innovation and sustainable development

Limitations of resident perception surveys for understanding social impacts. The need for triangulation

Resident perceptions survey (RPS) approaches to social impact assessment (SIA) in tourism are currently en vogue, but little discussion has taken place over the validity of this approach to SIA. This paper contends that there are serious limitations involved in RPS approaches when employed as a stand-alone SIA method, which throw doubt on whether the results obtained from these surveys in fact indicate actual impacts from tourism at all. While it is not disputed that the RPS approach can be an important SIA tool, it is argued that RPS results - if they are to be accepted as valid measures of social impacts - need to be supplemented by other research data, such as that obtained from visitor surveys, participant observation, in-depth interviews and, of particular focus in this paper, quantitative social indicator research. An integrated approach is recommended that aims to determine whether the impacts indicated in RPS results derive from tourism development or are caused by external factors, including factors that may well be 'imaginary' in nature. Hence, a combined approach attempts to triangulate the causal variables underlying the perceived impacts. The importance of undertaking such triangulation is not only to further understanding of the effects of tourism development on host communities, but to ensure that the incorporation of resident attitudes into tourism planning is undertaken in an informed manner that will benefit all concerned

Conceptualizing yield: sustainable tourism management

This paper develops a framework for employing the concept of tourism yield in a multidimensional manner, in particular applied to various quality of life aspects promoted by sustainable development. Most analysts employ a narrow economic definition of yield while paying some attention to the triple bottom line. Here, a framework is proposed that not only seeks to conceptualize tourism yield across a broad range of spheres, but also incorporates sustainable parameters using a systems approach. Rottnest Island - a popular Australian destination - is employed as a case study to demonstrate how the model can be used for assessment and decisionmaking in planning

Small winery operators and business vision: A Western Australian case

Numerous academic studies discuss the vital importance for entrepreneurs of having a clearly defined business vision, whereby they outline the business philosophy and/or long-term objectives for their business. This study examines the business vision dimension among a group of 40 Western Australian wineries, the majority of which are open to the public. While almost half of the respondents (18, 45%) are certain of where they want their businesses to be in the future, others (16, 40%) do not appear to have a clearly defined vision, or are unsure of what the concept of a 'vision' entails, either in regards to their own businesses or their industry. The importance of providing an excellent experience at the winery can contribute to business opportunities, which in turn requires a business vision. However, while such vision might be critical from a business perspective, the findings identify no differences between those who manifested a clear-cut business vision and those who did not with regard to their winery's age. These preliminary findings shed some light into an unexplored area and may help support future research on winery entrepreneurship

Community building through intergenerational exchange programs: Report to the National Youth Affairs Research Scheme (NYARS)

Initiatives designed to support young people’s engagement, participation and civic involvement with community have grown in popularity in Australia over the past decade. This is coincident with an increased emphasis on communitarian aspirations such as building community, promoting civics and encouraging social capital (Bessant, 1997; Botsman & Latham, 2001; Brennan, 1998; Harris, 1999). In this new policy environment, young people’s social problems, issues and needs are largely seen as a reflection of their declining levels of inclusion in civic life, a loss in community, a failure on the part of local associations to encourage social cohesion at the local level and a growing distance between the generations. According to those advancing this style of social policy, something has gone awfully wrong with the social fabric, community participation is dropping and different generations are becoming cut off from each other. The answer is often seen to be in interventions that develop social capital, build community capacity, encourage partnerships, support community enterprise, and strengthen democratic and civic participation. Precisely what this means, or how it might be achieved in youth practice settings, is not clear. Intergenerational practice has emerged as one general approach that may help put substance to aspirations for bringing young people into closer contact with others in their community. Although as yet not a significant part of the Australian policy landscape, the field of intergenerational practice has gained considerable support in the United States and is growing rapidly in Europe

Assessing sustainable visitor capacity for small island destinations: the case of Rottnest Island, Australia

Small island destinations present some unique challenges when it comes to visitor management. Often characterised by fragile ecosystems, they can be subject to intense pressures from large numbers of visitors carrying out a range of high impact activities in confined areas. This paper will examine the application of the sustainable visitor capacity (SVC) framework - a new visitor management tool designed in Australia - to Rottnest Island in Western Australia, a popular island destination attracting approximately 500,000 visitors per annum. Several modifications of the framework were undertaken in order to streamline it, adapt it to island conditions, and orient it to the particular objectives of the project. The methodology proved valuable in providing an estimate of sustainable visitor capacity that took into account environmental impacts, visitor satisfaction, service capacity and management strategies. The importance of versatility in assessment methods, visitor input and a streamlined approach are highlighted as key success factors

Untangling the “messy” legislative basis of tourism development planning : five cases from Australia

This article reports on a scoping study examining the legislative basis for tourism development and planning in Australia. While planning is vital to facilitate strategic decision-making regarding the appropriate nature and scale of tourism-related developments within a destination, the legislative frameworks that provide for, control and regulate many aspects of tourism development have neither been identified nor collated in an integrated manner. This research used a case-study methodology to examine the range and scope of legislation impacting tourism development in Australia. The study identified 285 current Acts that were categorized into five broad themes. On the basis of these findings, a number of recommendations for identification, collaboration and education regarding the legislative environment have been postulated.Griffith Business School, Department of Tourism, Sport and Hotel ManagementNo Full Tex