Page 188 - Tourism The International Business

9. The management of tourism

In its simplest form coordination is a communications issue concerned with the two-way sharing of information
at each level of development (initiating, developing, implementing, evaluating) and by each component of the
tourism industry. These components will be discussed in the section that follows.

Communications

Coordination requires efficient ways of communicating. Channels should be as direct and simple as possible;
they must be well-defined and understood by everyone involved in the organization. Each person in the program
should know how word about each activity is to be spread to those who need to know.
Channels need to be established; within the community; between the community and the tourist; between the
community and external segments of tourism such as other organizations, travel agencies, and tourism
organizations; and among the various interests that make up the tourism industry.
Some of the most common methods for constructing an effective communications function follow.
• The tourist center is most effective for welcoming tourists, providing information about all attractions in
the area, local customs, and laws. Community attractions literature and fliers for special events can be

distributed here.
The visitor center can provide a communications vehicle between tourist and community. Compliments
and complaints should be handled with equal ease. Complaints should be given special attention, however,
because poor handling indicates a disregard for the tourist.
• Well-trained service people. In many communities service personnel will interact with more tourists
than the visitors' center. It is most important that they know the community and current events.

• Good signing on the streets and highways. This is a basic type of communication. It says to the
tourist: "We are concerned that you do not waste your time finding our attractions."
• Meeting, forums, discussion groups, board and committee meetings open to the public, and
special planning or problem solving meetings. These are especially important in communicating with
people in the community.
• Organized dissemination of information through newsletters, special reports, local newspaper
editorials, radio and television news reports. Publicity (non-paid advertising), though generally

administered through the promotion committee or department, may also emanate from local government
and political sources, private business, and other organization sources. When they are issued by other
organizations, it is important that the tourism organization be informed beforehand so that potential
conflicts do not occur.
Obviously, communications and coordination must go hand in hand if the organization's efforts are to
succeed. Good communications require good coordination and good coordination demands good communications.
Therefore, in planning the communications and coordination functions, one must be careful to select those persons

who can create the environment in which these functions may effectively occur.
Research and data collection
The process of determining what is happening and what is most likely to happen is a continuous one and basic
to good organization and management. Managers also need to know what their best alternatives are for each

decision. Supplying these types of information is the responsibility of the research arm of the organization.

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