Generally speaking, the most successful tourism today is built on a clean physical environment and the positive expression of local culture and society.

(Godfrey & Clarke, 2000: Tourism Development Handbook)

Community Tourism Planning & Design is the professional tourism planning practice of Michael E. Kelly, AICP, MCIP. This practice is devoted to facilitating grassroots−community and regional −approaches to tourism development. Creating Sustainable Tourism Economies and Destinations are the goals. Michael works with:

• Small Town and Rural Municipalities
• Regional and Urban Tourist Zones and Districts
• Resort Communities
• Tourist Shopping Villages
• Byway and Corridor Communities
• Gateway Communities
• Canadian First Nation and American Indian Communities
• Destination Marketing Organizations
• Community Futures Development Corporations

Tourism - What is it all about?

Tourism is inherently a Regional Enterprise. Successful tourism destinations thrive where there is regional delivery of a balanced mix of quality attractions, accommodations, food and beverage services, retail, and other tourism spending opportunities. Successful tourism destinations build on cooperative networks of local residents, civic leaders and business people.

Successful tourism economies synchronize with market demand and operate in a context of  supporting community, regional and national infrastructures and services.

Delivery of tourism opportunities must be seamless and, most important, there must be a genuine focus on creating desirable and authentic visitor experiences.

Successful destinations don't just happen; tourists happen. Successful tourist destinations are planned and managed by a regional tourism authority. Their most important job is to create, with public participation, the vision that drives a region's short- and long-term tourism destination strategy.

All to often though, tourism destination planning becomes bogged down prematurely in the details of business planning for individual attractions, accommodations, or other tourism "products" long before an overall regional tourism strategy is conceived and adopted.

Sometimes tourism planning is assumed to mean, and then becomes the enthusiastic promotion of a region or a single community. The strategy is to simply increase numbers. Yes. promotion may increase tourist numbers, but unless the increase is integrated into a comprehensive tourism development plan, it rarely generates sustainable tourism growth and community benefit.

In fact, the result maybe just the opposite: a marred, oversaturated, degraded destination.

Spring Break, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

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Planning is Key!

By creating and delivering community-driven planning processes that result in a collective community vision and agreed upon public actions, Community Tourism Planning & Design guides communities in creating sustainable tourism destination and economies.

Tourism Planning Creates Value!

• Planning returns optimal benefit to host communities for the investment of their resources in tourism development.

• Planning integrates tourism into the social and cultural fabric of community life.

• Planning creates community understanding and enthusiasm for tourism.

• Planning attracts the right visitors and creates high quality experiences for them that reflect well on the community and its residents.

• Planning gives direction for development of tourism businesses.

• Planning generates fiscal and economic benefit through increased tax revenue, job creation, employment and income.

• Planning encourages sustainable resource use.

• Planning enhances preservation of the natural and cultural heritage.

• Planning retains scenic values and sense of place.

Cow Head Harbour & Long Range Mountains
Cow Head, Newfoundland

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