Comparative Critique and Analysis of Tourism Discussion Papers

This report presents a critical analysis and comparison of two discussion papers focusing on tourism development. The first paper, based on the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017, explores the contributions of tourism to economic growth, social inclusiveness, and environmental protection, structured around five key themes. The second paper, from the National Trust of Australia, concentrates on heritage tourism and its role in economic development, structured sectionally. The report evaluates the structure of each paper against the policy planning cycle, assesses the sufficiency of relevant stakeholder considerations, and compares the quality and effectiveness of each paper. The comparison highlights the strengths of the first paper in providing a broad overview and the second paper in focusing on heritage tourism's impact. The report concludes by reflecting on the comparative analysis, emphasizing the importance of both papers in understanding tourism's role in sustainable development and the need for further evidence and integration across different sectors within the tourism industry.

Critique and Comparison of two
discussion papers

Contents
ASSESSMENT 2.............................................................................................................................1
Introduction of main issues....................................................................................................1
Structure of discussion papers against the framework of policy planning cycle...................2
Content of discussion papers with regards to sufficiency of relevant stakeholders...............2
Comparison of two discussion papers as per structure, quality and effectiveness.................2
Reflection on comparison of discussion papers.....................................................................2

ASSESSMENT 2
Introduction of main issues
The present report is going to highlight the key issues that are addressing under two
discussion papers, based on tourism development. Hereby, one is based on International Year of
Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017 and another one is on National Heritage Tourism
Summit. In both papers, a discussion is made to reveal the contribution of tourism in developing
economy and society of a nation, as well as factors that affects its growth and development
factors. Therefore, these papers will help chosen stakeholders in tourism planning and policy
development, so that higher contribution of same can be earned for better improvement of
society and local communities. In this regard, it has evaluated that in first paper, The UNWTO
(United Nation World Tourism Organisation) has explored the contribution of tourism for
sustainable development, by underlying current position of this sector as well as plans for further
growth. Through reading such discussions, it has been evaluated that discussion over strong
correlation between increasing growth and developing economy is given (Cox, 2018). But
researchers have failed to provide evidence if the same has made improvement in poverty
reduction, balancing socio-economy equality among local communities and more. Therefore,
without addressing such facts, information which is provided to stakeholders for policy making
in tourism sector seems to be insufficient. Here, the main issues which are affecting the tourism
development includes weak business environment in developing countries like labor and skills
shortages; limited access to finance, low levels of investment including Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI) etc. In context with another paper, which is prepared by National Trust of
Australia, it has been analyzed that people now attracts more towards heritages and culture of a
country, while visiting (Sarma, 2015). Therefore, heritage tourism contributes more in
sustainable development of economy. But the major issues that affects growth of this sector are
declination of funds, shortage of integration as well as coordination of heritage elements in
regional tourism market etc. With this assistance, second discussion paper seems to be provided
better knowledge as compared to first one, but it is limited to only one type of tourism only
where first paper has shown overall effectiveness of tourism industry (Hirschi, 2017).
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Structure of discussion papers against the framework of policy planning cycle
On analyzing the given discussion papers, it has been evaluated that structure of first paper
has been made on the basis of five thematic analysis and second one’s structure on sectional base
as shown below –
Structure of First Discussion Paper (International Year of Sustainable Tourism for
Development 2017):
This paper mainly evaluate how tourism helps a nation in increasing its economy and
factors that affect the growth and development of same sector, on the basis developing structure
on following themes – Theme 1: Sustainable Economic Growth Theme 2: Social Inclusiveness, Employment and Poverty Reduction Theme 3: Resource Efficiency, Environmental Protection and Climate Change Theme 4: Cultural Values, Diversity and Heritage
 Theme 5: Mutual Understanding, Peace and Security
These key themes are considered as five central pillars of the International Year 2017 that shows
the higher contribution of tourism in sustainable development. Hereby, these thematic sections
have presented an overview of current evidence as well as also raises the key issues to consider
by stakeholders while developing plans and highlighting the main priorities for actions, with
regards to Sustainable Development Objectives and Goals, including broader 2030 Development
Agenda (Dakpo, Jeanneaux and Latruffe, 2016). After then, a subsequent cross-cutting section
also provides a glance over governance, policy frameworks, instruments and more, which are
needed for spearhead sustainable tourism. These presented evidences related to tourism
performance, has helped in drawing its impact as well.
Structure of Second Discussion Paper (National Heritage Tourism Summit):
To drive contribution of tourism and untapped potential of heritage tourism within
Australia, Structure of the paper divides on the basis of section and subs-sections of each in
following way –
1.0 Setting the Scene –
2.0 Visitor Reach and Trends –
3.0 Challenge and Opportunities –
4.0 Taking Actions -
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5.0 Next Steps –
All these sections have been properly describing the concept, role and contribution of heritage
tourism in increasing the growth of economy in Australian market.
Content of discussion papers with regards to sufficiency of relevant stakeholders
First discussion Paper:
The content of this paper has revealed much evidences and information of tourism’
contribution in developing economy of a country. Here, entire concept has been described on the
basis of five central pillars, where first one i.e. Sustainable Economic Growth has been revealed
the current position of tourism industry as – it has generated near about US$ 1.5 trillion within
exports in 2015, that is equivalent to 7% of overall global trade in exporting of goods and
services (Barnham, 2015). While another theme Social Inclusiveness, Employment and Poverty
Reduction has acknowledged that tourism sector refers to a major source of reducing poverty by
generating high employment, which is estimated as one in eleven jobs worldwide. In 2015, it has
been identified that tourism accounted for 283 million jobs which is 9.5% of global employment
through direct and indirect employment (Bańbura, Giannone and Lenz, 2015). Similarly, further
sections have revealed the major threats and opportunities for sustainable tourism development
in countries.
Second discussion Paper:
This paper has been included the sufficient content that reveals how heritage tourism has
not only increased tourism but also forces a country to focus on conserving its heritages and
culture in proper manner. For this purpose, if entire sectors of tourism industry will work in
partnership then heritages can be conserved and protected from harmful effects of increasing
tourism and urbanization (Mulder and Wagenmakers, 2016). It also entails a number of socio and
economic benefits of same, that aid a nation in making more investment in sustainable
development of economy and local communities.
Comparison of two discussion papers as per structure, quality and effectiveness
Basis of comparison
First discussion paper
(IY of Sustainable Tourism
for Development 2017)
Second Discussion Paper
(National Heritage Tourism
Summit)
Structure This paper includes a thematic
analysis that helps in
It presents overall information
in section wise where sub-
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analyzing current position of
tourism sector in a country
and what relevant stakeholders
need to do for sustainable
development in both
developed and under-
developing countries.
section helps stakeholders in
analyzing each and every
factor more appropriately.
Quality Here, an in-depth analysis has
been done to prepare the
discussion report where
evidences of numerical facts
and figures has been provided
to stakeholders in adequate
manner. But it fails to entail
some more evidences related
to contribution of tourism in
reducing poverty and other
addressing issues.
Under this discussion paper,
information shown has
provided much information of
heritages and its contribution
in different-different sectors
via statistical evidences.
Therefore, quality of this
paper refers to be better as
compared to first due to the
presence of data in short and
summarized way, but no in-
depth analysis has been taken
on other sectors of tourism.
Effectiveness Action plan that needs to be
taken by policy makers for
increasing tourism and
addressing main issues, shown
the highest effective factor.
The potential benefits of
heritage tourism where
preserving heritages will prove
beneficial to save historical
culture and attracts more
tourism as well.
Reflection on comparison of discussion papers
By discussing on above two papers, it has been analysed that there is an in-depth analysis
has been done under I Paper, on evaluating the contribution of tourism in a country. It also
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entails how earning profitability or increasing economy will help in addressing the major issues
of sustainable development, such as reducing poverty, illiteracy rate, improvement of health and
well-beings of people etc. Along with this, in every thematic analysis, the current position of
tourism and action plans for improving same has been entailed in impressive way. But it fails to
provide more evidences of accurate facts and figures that demonstrate if tourism has played
crucial role in sustainable development. While, in context with second paper, on the basis of
comparison, it has been analysed that it demonstrates overall role of heritage tourism in
sustainable development more effectively. But it fails to provide more evidence about key issues
that affects the respective sector such as lack of relationship between different sectors and
organisations of tourism industry in promoting heritage tourism.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Cox, D. R., 2018. Analysis of survival data. Chapman and Hall/CRC.
Sarma, S. K., 2015. Qualitative research: Examining the misconceptions. South Asian Journal of
Management, 22(3), p.176.
Hirschi, T., 2017. Causes of delinquency. Routledge.
Dakpo, K.H., Jeanneaux, P. and Latruffe, L., 2016. Modelling pollution-generating technologies
in performance benchmarking: Recent developments, limits and future prospects in the
nonparametric framework. European Journal of Operational Research. 250(2). pp.347-
359.
Barnham, C., 2015. Quantitative and qualitative research: Perceptual foundations. International
Journal of Market Research. 57(6). pp.837-854.
Bańbura, M., Giannone, D. and Lenza, M., 2015. Conditional forecasts and scenario analysis
with vector autoregressions for large cross-sections. International Journal of
forecasting. 31(3). pp.739-756.
Mulder, J. and Wagenmakers, E. J., 2016. Editors’ introduction to the special issue “Bayes
factors for testing hypotheses in psychological research: Practical relevance and new
developments”. Journal of Mathematical Psychology. 72. pp.1-5.
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