KUCHING: Planning for the integration of tourism in the overall development policies, plans and patterns of a country or city is just as important as planning for the integration within the tourism system.

Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said that planning for the overall integration, for example, would resolve any potential conflicts such as over usage of certain resources or locations for various types of developments.

“It also provides for a multi-use of expensive infrastructure to serve the needs of the community as well as tourism,” Abang Johari said at the launch of Global Tourism Cities Conference 2013 (GTCC 2013) at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here yesterday.

His speech was read out by chief political secretary to the Chief Minister, Abdullah Saidol.

Abang Johari, who is also Housing Minister, said emphasis was given to formulating and adopting tourism development policies and plans for a city in order to guide decision-making on development actions.

“The planning of tourism city however should also be recognised as a continuous and flexible process. There must b

e flexibility to allow for adapting to changing circumstances,” he said.

He said that to build a sustainable tourism city, urban planners and tourism managers must ensure that the tourism city development complements the municipal policies and plans, as well as meeting the needs of the city’s residents and visitors.

“Effective urban tourism planning and development requires attention of varied elements, including allowing maximum access to available infrastructure, tourist sites, parks and other green spaces; strengthening the cultural and social viability of local community,”

Abang Johari said the experiences of many tourism areas in the world had demonstrated that on a long term basis, the planned approach to developing tourism could bring benefits without significant problems and maintain satisfied tourist markets.

“Places that have allowed tourism to develop without the benefit of planning are often suffering from environmental and social problems.”

He said these uncontrolled tourism areas could not effectively compete with planned tourist destinations elsewhere.

The minister also said that effective development, operation and management of a tourism city required certain institutional elements such as organisational structures, especially government tourism offices and private sector tourism associations; tourism related legislation and regulations; education, training programmes and training institutions.

Among those present at the launching were permanent secretary to the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Communications Safri Zainudin, Sarawak Tourism Federation president Audry Wan Ulok, Confexhub Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Paul Yeo and BCCK chief executive officer Paul D’Arcy.

(Source: Borneo Post Online, 3July 2013)