Strategic Planning for Tourism & Leisure

This essay explores the roles and responsibilities of National or Regional Tourism Organisation, theories behind tourism planning approaches, and transformative tourism benefits and challenges. It focuses on the case of Sentosa Development Corporation, a leading tourism organization in Singapore.

STRATEGIC PLANNING
FOR TOURISM & LEISURE

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
PART 1............................................................................................................................................3
Roles and responsibilities of National or Regional Tourism Organisation:................................3
The theories behind tourism Planning approaches of the RTO at Sentosa Development:..........4
PART 2............................................................................................................................................6
Transformative tourism benefits and Challenges........................................................................6
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
Strategic planning in tourist industry is important it plays vital role in tourism and leisure.
It helps tourism organization to set their objective and goals. It also beneficial for Sentosa
Development Corporation organization. This organization manage and develop Sentosa Island in
Singapore. Sentosa Island is famous tourist attraction in Singapore. Sentosa Development
Corporation is established in 1972 as a Statutory board (Sentosa development Corporation,
2019). Its main objective is to make Sentosa island world best resort destination. It helps Sentosa
island in management, marketing and promotions. This island is a premier leisure destination for
tourist. It will help to understand Sentosa Group strategic planning for tourism. It will also
evaluate the role, responsibility and ideology of the organization. This essay explained,
understand and identify the different theories which help in strategic planing for tourism. This
essay also analysis the transformative tourism benefits and challenges of the organization
service.
PART 1
Roles and responsibilities of National or Regional Tourism Organisation:
Tourism now become one of the emerging sectors globally. There are so many countries
that attract large number of folks around the world. Singapore is one of those country because it
has one the biggest economic tourism sectors. Travel and tourism provides so many benefits to
the economy as a whole because it creates large number of jobs for young generations, build
exports and provide wealth all over country. National Tourism organisation are government
agencies that are responsible for marketing tourists. They are publicly funded that do the
advertising in respect to the particular country and are generally bounded towards the inbound
tourist. National Tourism is responsible for the development, implementation and all promotion
activities and its main strategies in order to market the tourism market sector of Singapore
(Farmaki,2019).
Regional Tourism is generally responsible for the promotion of their won regions both
domestically or internationally as well, however they are also regulated or govern by their
government bodies. They are also conducted as non-profit organisation, independent and that are
led by tourism sector. They play major role in competitive and various regions of tourism. In
every country there is separate region in which Regional Tourism established and each of this
conduct cooperation and conduct leadership as regional.

Sentosa is established as a statuary Board under the Ministry of Industry or Trade. Sentosa
Development Cooperation a statutory board in Singapore, led by four subsidiaries that includes
the Sentosa Leisure Management, Sentosa Golf Club, Mount Faber Leisure Group and Sentosa
Golf Club. This is Singapore's island resort and now Asia's finest destination of leisure. This
provide the huge sector of island, themed based parks, also winning so many awards in context
of providing spa retreats and accommodation, with providing attractive greenery, sandy beaches,
along with the world championship courses in golf. They are responsible for examine the
development, marketing for the island of Sentosa for all local or tourists. Sentosa's play different
role in order to enhance its services and to offer the memorable destination for tourist that
provide amazing experiences for all guests present in their resorts (Ganguli,and Ebrahim, 2017).
All those services that serve is reflect their genuine commitments. They believe in doing
teamwork ad should be honest and professional in their role so that it engage more and more
clients without being exploit them.
Moreover, they also need to be upgraded with the changes of time like to adopt with the latest
technology in operations and should be innovative so that it become result oriented that decisive
for their work. In Singapore, tourism sector is responsible in conducting various recreational
activities and there are different activities that are conducted by regional tourism sector so that it
make the huge involvement of local community. Along with attracting tourists, now the board
also began its functions in regulatory, therefore within the months all guides of Singapore must
registered with the board.
The theories behind tourism Planning approaches of the RTO at Sentosa Development:
There are several theories that is related with development of tourists. Following paragraph
will detail explanation of different theories:
Christaller's Theory:
This theory is based on various factors in which the Sentosa can make changes and includes
the process for continuous development. Its involves the basic points that is necessary for
Sentosa to consider. The changes made in development of destinations or places along with the
change overtime. Sentosa carries different types of visitors and they all have different times so it
should be consider (Richards, 2020). Moreover, the experiences of every tourist changes every
time. There are always new cycles that involve in the new tourist places that will occur over a

period of time. Apart with that, the locals and tourist involvement in the destinations changes
over a period of time.
Cohen's Theory:
This theory is developed in 1972 that is related with the behaviour of tourist and its made the
classification into four sections:
Individual Mass Tourist: This includes the activities that is based on an individual and not as
whole group (Theories of tourism and development, 2021). Sentosa can make arrangements a per
the choice of individual person and should consider what he like to do because he is responsible
to made his own itinerary and make his won decisions.
Organised Mass Tourist: Sentosa make the travel arrangements as per the group becouse this
includes people who travels in group and its booking are made in advance by travel company or
agents (Bichler, and Lösch, 2019).
Explorers: In this category the people are arranges their own travel. They are basically try to
connect with local community and gather all information related to the destinations.
Drifters: in this category, tourist try to ignore another tourist. They are most likely to stay with
the local people only and adopt their culture and habit. They generally do not consider
themselves as tourist.
Doxey's Theory:
This theory is developed that is basically based on the possible reaction of population of host
as to increase the number over a period of time. Doxey's travel development or planning theory
is categories into various segments that are:
Euphoria : Sentosa can use this when they welcome the guests, however there are no planning
for any activities.
Apathy : In this, guests are taken for granted as their behaviour become too formal. Sentosa
should be careful about this point and need to avoid this as much possible so that it did not
create any negative impact on their brand (Hamnett,nd Yuen, 2019).
Annoyance : In this method, the local communities have misgivings. The main planning is
made in attempt to control with increasing the infrastructure despite on the growth.
Antagonism: The activities of marketing is increasing in order to offset the declining reputation
of resort. Sentosa can use this if they face any issues relating with its services.

PART 2
Transformative tourism benefits and Challenges
Transformative tourism allow the development and awareness in the tourism
organization. Its service has various benefits and challenges which are discussed below.
Benefits: Transformative tourism is responsible for the greats, annual human movement.
It adds values in tourist life. It is beneficial for the environment, people, different cultures and
also country economy. In transformative tourism Technology also play important role it try
connect tourist in local environment. Transformative tourism also help Sentosa development
corporation to increase their profit and to reach out to new tourists. For Sentosa Development
Corporation transformative tourism is a medium to promote their business.
In organization, it has different benefits such as cultural. In cultural tourism it will help
tourists to understand various cultures. It increases financial profitability of Sentosa development
corporation and also increase environmental, social and cultural benefits. It also impacts on
environment because environment is important for tourism purpose (Coghlan, and Weiler, 2018).
Tourism and leisure relation with environment is complex and if Sentosa organization is doing
strategic tourism planning then they make sure that their different activities not affect
environment. It is on the organization hand that what impact they want to create on environment
positive or negative. Sentosa development corporation as so many beneficial impact on
environmental of transformative tourism. It helps to raise awareness of environmental values.
Sentosa island help to raise environmental awareness for this they can promote ecotourism and
sustainable tourism this can help to give information to tourist to create awareness for the
environment benefits. Sentosa corporation service such as cleaning island on regular basis is also
helped to attract customers or tourist and also spread clean and green environment message.
Island of Sentosa in Singapore closed for tourist for recover and to avoid negative impact on
environment. In transformative tourism it also provides cultural benefits by services which are
distributes by organization.
Cultural benefits boost tourism and increase profitability of the organization. It also helps
to build engagement, cultural and heritage benefits usually attract more tourist for historic and
education tourism. Its focus is on learning skills and gain knowledge about the place. Sentosa
island attract travellers also provide wellness benefits to the travellers and tourists. In

transformative tourism wellness benefits include physical and inner well-being of travellers. It is
an opportunity for organization to maintain and improve atomistic health of the tourist. Wellness
help tourist or travellers to create precious moments of relaxation. It also helped organization to
attract travellers towards their services such as natural surrounding, beaches, forest environment,
physical activities, healthy food etc. is created wellness benefits for tourists. Sentosa island is the
best destination for wellness tourism. Transformative tourism also help Sentosa development
corporation to maintain its economic benefits such as government contribution revenue, direct
foreign exchange earnings, employment, and career progression and business opportunities to the
local communities and development of modern local infrastructure (Soulard, McGehee, and
Stern, 2019). In wellness benefits organization provide various benefits to the travellers and
tourists such as Detox, support, disconnect with toxic life, no planning needed organization
already have plans for their travellers, and they have also chance to meet others and develop
positive environment.
Transformative tourism also provide various benefits on the organization services such as
country improved brand images, infrastructure development, source of employment generation,
raise revenues on wide scale, and growth in economic activities. Benefits and advantages of
transformative tourism in provided services by organization is important for the growth of
organization and to increase profitability. It also has various importance of tourism for economic
and socio-economic benefits. For Singapore country and for their societies Sentosa Development
corporation have different advantages and importance such as it creates activity and demands, it
helps to create value chain and boost economic activities, It also motivates industry to reach at
global standard and transformative tourism induces more consumption. By transformative
tourism organization have a wide range of effects. Potentially it offers great benefits and
advantages to the organization and also to travellers. It also helps to improve and raise services
in organization which help to increase employment in the country which is directly affect the
country's economy. Transformative tourism mainly affect country economy.
It has beneficial with respect to country economy (Patrick, and et.al., 2019). On the basis
of countries economy it provides various benefits such as diversification, infrastructure, social
advantages, environmental advantages, employment and increased spending in the local
community. Diversification help Sentosa group to develop a new form of income in this
organization can introduce new insurance policies related to travelling and also diversified their

services with other competitors. By infrastructure organization can raise extra revenue and also
provide benefits to local community and government. By this it also provides social advantages
which help organization to crate the best cultural activities which help them to grow their
business. It also gives environmental advantages and different opportunities which help Sentosa
development corporation to increase their profit and expand their business in new area and also
help to fulfil their business vision and mission.
Transformative tourism also increase employment it is the easiest advantage which
provide job to unemployables. It also directly affect country's economy in positive way. It also
helps government to increase its spending in local community and this spending directly
connected with the economy (Taboy, 2019). There are various basic human requirements such as
food, medical services transportation etc. and by transformative tourism government is focusses
on these requirements and spending more money for society betterments and to improve their
conditions. Basically transformative tourism help Sentosa Development organization and local
tourism organization by their various services which affected country and provide different
advantages.
Challenges:Transformative tourism refers a positive impact on travel and human
behaviour (Alrawadieh, 2019). The objective of transformative tourism is to create awareness,
wellness, among the local as well as other tourist. But in past few years Transformative tourism
is facing issues and challenges, and it has impacted on the tourism of Singapore as well.
The biggest challenge faced by transformative tourism is political changes, the
government of Singapore has made many changes in the lows and rules which directly impact
the tourism. Owing to the proliferation of covid -19, the government of Singapore has restricted
the airlines who are coming from different countries, thus directly impact on the tourism of the
country apart from this due to the pandemic government has made changes in the policies and
announces lock-down in the country which is why all the tourist and destination places has to
remain shut for two to three months, even the famous tourism place Sentosa island has to remain
shut for weeks. Security and political changes has been the biggest hurdle in transformative
tourism, because due to this pandemic even local and domestic tourist are also getting afraid to
visit in their own city.
Next challenge which affects the transformative tourism is that this pandemic has
interrupted the services of major cruise and ships which totally get suspended from their

operation (Pan, 2018). Apart from this various educational tours have been cancelled thus
impact on the revenue and income of the tourism industry.
Apart from this the main issue which the Sentosa development is facing for so long is
environmental crisis, heavy rainfall, snowfall, draught etc. affect the tourism of the particular
country. As the tour and travel industry is a seasonal business and depends on the climate and
environment visitors avoid coming in the situation of heavy rainfall and difficult circumstances.
As tourism is known to be an economic activity and it contributes a huge part in the economy
and GDP of the country, because government earns income in the form of foreign currencies.
Besides this tourism provide employment opportunities for men, women, skilled, semi-skilled
and other people. But due to global crises and economic crises has impacted the transformative
tourism and local tourism of Singapore.
The major issue which affects the Sentosa development is that the history and culture of
that particular country, if the country has rich past history having a wide cultural heritage,
statues, monuments and many places to visit, it attracts the attention of visitors like Singapore
have many famous destinations such as Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the bay Sentosa island
etc. which are more than enough to attract the customers. but if the country is not rich in roaming
been a big challenge even, tourist wants to visit those places which are safe no-one would like to
explore in the criminal cities and countries (Pencarelli, 2020). But in case of Singapore it is
known to be safe but still the transformational tourism has to be careful for towards the safe and
protection of visitors.
The very common issue in- front of transformational tourism is the accessibility, all the
tourist points and places should be easily accessible with the help of proper transportation such
as – Roads, trains, airlines etc. so that visitors don't have to face challenges. As Singapore is a
rich country towards tourism, so most of the places are easily accessible. Visitors want to have
some adventure activities such as -paragliding, roping, safari etc. so it is the responsibility of
Transformational tourism to provide all these fun activities to the visitors so that they get bound
top comae again and again.
Apart from this, another challenge, which the transformational tourism is facing for many
times is that providing all the necessary services such as banking, internet, connectivity of
telephone and telecom, proper health care and hospitals and so on, those places who are having
all these facilities can hold the tourist for so long in their country, so it is a challenge for

transformational tourism is to maintain and provide all these necessary amenities to the visitors.
Except this, accommodation issue is big challenge in front of transformational tourism is that, the
particular country must have good hotel and restaurant facilities where visitors can stay. It totally
depends on the income level and lifestyles of the tourist, so the country must have all the
necessary facilities to satisfy all the people whether they are from high class people and middle
class (Jones, 2017). place hence it impacts on the transformative tourism nobody wants to go in
such places because visitors wants to have fun and wants to explore new places.
Most common problem which the transformative tourism has faced is crimes, many
times visitors have to face criminal issues such as, theft, miscommunication etc. so the safety
and security of the visitors has always been a big challenge even, tourist wants to visit those
places which are safe no-one would like to explore in the criminal cities and countries. But in
case of Singapore it is known to be safe but still the transformational tourism has to be careful
for towards the safe and protection of visitors.
Major difficulties in- front of transformational tourism is the accessibility, all the tourist
points and places should be easily accessible with the help of proper transportation such as –
Roads, trains, airlines etc. so that visitors don't have to face challenges. As Singapore is a rich
country towards tourism, so most of the places are easily accessible. Visitors want to have some
adventure activities such as -paragliding, roping, safari etc. so it is the responsibility of
Transformational tourism to provide all these fun activities to the visitors so that they get bound
top comae again and again.
Apart from this, another challenge, which the transformational tourism is facing for many
years is that providing all the necessary services such as banking, internet, connectivity of
telephone and telecom, proper health care and hospitals and so on, those places who are having
all these facilities can hold the tourist for so long in their country, so it is a challenge for
transformational tourism is to maintain and provide all these necessary amenities to the visitors.
Except this, accommodation issue is big challenge in front of transformational tourism is that, the
particular country must have good hotel and restaurant facilities where visitors can stay (Butler,
2018). It totally depends on the income level and lifestyles of the tourist, so the country must
have all the necessary facilities to satisfy all the people whether they are from high class people
and middle class. These are the problems which transformational tourism is facing.

CONCLUSION
From the above essay it concludes that strategic planing is also important in tourism and
leisure organization. By this essay it can easily understandable that different organizations have
different roles and responsibility in tourism sector such as NTO has different roles and
responsibility to implement different tourist policy and in the other hand RTO has its various
roles and responsibilities in specific regions. As mention in as Sentosa development corporation
has manages and develop Sentosa island do it is the part of regional tourism organization. This
essay also explained different theories which help to develop tourism policies for the
organization. Essay also evaluate different benefits and challenges or transformative tourism and
how this tourism help Sentosa organization with benefits and how this benefits help to overcome
their challenges. Basically this essay explained overall strategic planing and management of
Sentosa development corporation in Singapore.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Alrawadieh and et.al, 2019. Understanding the challenges of refugee entrepreneurship in
tourism and hospitality. The Service Industries Journal.39(9-10). pp.717-740.
Bichler, B.F. and Lösch, M., 2019. Collaborative Governance in Tourism: Empirical Insights
into a Community-Oriented Destination. Sustainability.11(23). p.6673.
Butler, R., 2018. Challenges and opportunities. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes.
Coghlan, A. and Weiler, B., 2018. Examining transformative processes in volunteer
tourism. Current Issues in Tourism. 21(5). pp.567-582.
Farmaki, A., 2019. Corporate social responsibility in hotels: a stakeholder
approach. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Ganguli, S. and Ebrahim, A.H., 2017. A qualitative analysis of Singapore's medical tourism
competitiveness. Tourism Management Perspectives.21. pp.74-84.
Hamnett, S. and Yuen, B. eds., 2019. Planning Singapore: The Experimental City. Routledge.
Jones and et.al 2017. The sustainable development goals and the tourism and hospitality
industry. Athens Journal of Tourism.4(1).pp.7-18.
Pan and et.al, 2018. Advances and challenges in sustainable tourism toward a green
economy. Science of the Total Environment. 635. pp.452-469.
Patrick, J.N., and et.al., 2020. 9 Transformative tourism education. Overtourism and Tourism
Education: A Strategy for Sustainable Tourism Futures, p.155.
Pencarelli, T., 2020. The digital revolution in the travel and tourism industry. Information
Technology & Tourism. 22(3). pp.455-476.
Richards, G., 2020. Designing creative places: The role of creative tourism. Annals of tourism
research. 85. p.102922.
Soulard, J., McGehee, N.G. and Stern, M., 2019. Transformative tourism organizations and
glocalization. Annals of Tourism Research. 76. pp.91-104
Taboy, M.L., 2019. SENTOSA ISLAND SEBAGAI DAYA TARIK WISATA DI
SINGAPURA.
Online
Sentosa development Corporation., Sentosa, The State of Fun, is Singapore’s premier island
resort getaway and Asia’s leading leisure destination, 2019 [Online]. Available
through: <https://www.sentosa.gov.sg/who-we-are/overview/>
Theories of tourism and development. 2021. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.academia.edu/27788973/THEORIES_ON_TOURISM_PLANNING_and
_DEVELOPMENT>
1

2