Sustainable tourism planning with multiple objective decision analysis: a case study of the Guimaras farm tourism pilot
Creators: name: Trousdale, William James
Publisher: name: University of British Columbia
Year: 2009

description: There is widespread recognition that tourism, one of one of the world's largest and fastest growing industries, must move towards sustainability by embracing a more balanced planning approach. This is especially true in developing countries where tourism is being aggressively promoted, often with limited attention given to the overarching socioeconomic, institutional and biophysical parameters. This thesis uses an innovative and promising approach for sustainable tourism planning based on multiple objective decision analysis (MODA). After reviewing contemporary challenges in tourism planning and identifying MODA's potential contributions, practical application of MOD A is tested in a case study of The Philippine Cooperative Farm Tourism Project: The Guimaras Pilot Project. MODA is a planning and decision method that draws from many disciplines including economics, psychology, operations research, negotiation theory and statistical decision theory. It is based on six fundamental steps: (1) defining the decision problem effectively; (2) establishing the planning context; (3) identifying relevant stakeholders; (4) eliciting and structuring a comprehensive set of objectives; (5) creating alternatives to achieve the stated objectives; and, (6) evaluating the alternatives against the objectives. This 'people based' approach seeks to clarify inherent value tradeoffs while promoting the development of alternatives that are more likely to appeal to stakeholder interests. The insight gained from the MODA process allows decision makers to make better informed and more defensible choices — choices that can responsibly address the difficult issues of sustainable tourism and are more likely to result in successful project implementation. Sub-methods are easily couched in the conceptual structure provided by MODA. One technique used extensively during field research in the Philippines was the elicitation and organization of objectives into a hierarchy, ranging from national policy to local values. By focusing on objectives, the analysis was able to identify, and begin to address, critical gaps in available information (i.e., local market conditions were established using market research techniques and capture rate theory). Field work was also supported by interviews (semistructured, open and informal) and participatory observation. These efforts laid the foundation for a 'farm tourism' planning workshop. The workshop participants, representing key stakeholder groups, infused critical local knowledge into the process and helped establish realistic planning constraints. Using the objectives hierarchy, the participants also undertook a qualitative and quantitative examination of objectives that provided a chance to reflect on community values and direct the focus of the Guimaras Farm Tourism Pilot Project (fortified later by statistical analysis). The insights gained were then used by the workshop participants to create and clarify a range of alternatives that culminated in a grassroots vision of 'farm tourism'. MODA systematically promoted an open, participatory process and established a framework for multi-sectoral integration; The resulting group-efforts overcame entrenched positions (e.g., the farm estate concept) while nurturing a sense of commitment necessary for effective project implementation. A five year period would allow for a staggered phasing of three alternatives: (1) Excursion Farm Tourism; (2) Barangay (Village) Farm Tourism; and, (2) Estate Farm Tourism. These alternatives would all be based on education, interpretation and host/guest interaction. All of the alternatives would benefit from the creation of exhibits, events, tours and festivals. These activities would be immediately initiated and evolve over the life of the project. Close monitoring and ongoing evaluation would be needed to adjust the project to changing needs of local communities. Although some of MODA's more technical aspects (e.g., statistical analysis of objectives) will probably not become a planning standard on Guimaras, many of MODA's core principals (e.g., relevant stakeholder inclusion) will continue to be an important part of the Guimaras Farm Tourism planning process. The success of this planning and decision making method on the rural island of Guimaras suggests that it is widely applicable, and therefore capable of contributing to sustainable tourism initiates in many planning contexts.