Participation for sustainable tourism planning : A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Diplom Raum- und Umweltplanung at Technische Universitat Kaiserslautern : Prepared at Lincoln University Environment, Society and Design Division

Abstract

Although tourism is not the smokeless industry it has often been promoted as, it is still less extractive than other industries, with the potential to be mutually beneficial for the host community, the visitors, and the environment. The inclusion of the host community in tourism planning is an essential part of sustainable development. This is based on the notion of the desirability of public participation, most influentially described by Arnstein (1969) through her "ladder of participation". However, it is not always easy to move up the steps of the ladder, as participation is based on the concept of participatory democracy, which is often seen to be in conflict with the currently used system of representative democracy (Cheyne, 1999). The objective of this study is to address the possible problems of participatory planning and to assess how a participation process needs to be shaped to promote sustainable planning for tourism. For this purpose, an evaluative framework for participatory planning processes has been developed and used to compare this theory with the reality. For the present study, tourism planning in New Zealand local authorities has been chosen as the context, and two participatory planning approaches have been selected as case studies: the Kaikoura Tourism and Development Committee and the Waitakere West Coast Plan Liaison Group. It became apparent in this research that there can be no ready-made solution for every situation. The problem is to find the balance between the necessary structure and the flexibility to adapt to the context and evolving demands. This is made more difficult by the fact that the knowledge about participatory processes is limited at the local governmental as well as the academic level. Furthermore, the study indicates that a certain degree of social capital is necessary for effective participatory planning, enabling the group to share the process .as well as the outcome. As the case studies show, councils with a strong link and working relationship with their communities and stakeholders are more capable of participatory planning. Analysis of the stakeholders has been a difficulty highlighted by the case studies; this indicates a need for more structured processes where participants have not been elected. The study suggests that commitment, which encourages trust-building, is the most important factor for the success of participatory planning, even more important than granting a group statutory rights. However, participatory planning is limited by the fact that local governments, as well as individual participants, are often under-resourced. The study also indicates that the Resource Management Act (RMA), as the core planning legislation, is problematic in two ways: firstly, the regulations covering effects-based plans are insufficient to ensure a sustainable development for tourism; and secondly, there is no clear statement on the requirements of participation, while the interpretation occurs at the local level. Although a very new legislation and not yet implemented, the new Local Government Act 2002 can possibly solve some of the shortcomings of the RMA, as it offers opportunities for using participatory methods in sustainable tourism planning.