Visitor Management -trd

VISITOR MANAGEMENT Understanding tourists’ behavior and its impact on the community/nature How to manage impacts of tourism in a SUSTAINABLE way

First question, is it necessary to control numbers?

Useful tourism maps

What is Visitor Management ? To attract the visitor in order to achieve their objectives and at the same time making profits and continue the attraction. There are different approaches which stakeholders may chose or are enabled to take care of.. To find a balance to make an attraction available for tourists while protecting the core attraction in a sustainable and ethical way

Supply-side management ❧ Physical management strategies ❧ Regulatory ❧ Queu management ❧ Enlarging capacity ❧ Site hardening ❧ Restrictive ticketing and quota’s

Demand side management Price incentives Marketing Education and interpretation Definition interpretation: - Make clear or bring out the intended meaning of a character, composition, display - Understand in a particular way

❧ A clear message gives the right information for the correct interpretation (=responsible) marketing ❧ What messages do we want others to know?

Information to tourists By word of mouth Tourism fairs in generating countries Written information Audio-visual information Media, websites Pictures/posters, displays Signposts, information boards

Information to tourists In home country (friends, tour operators) In Nepal (travel agents, KEEP etc) In travel guides and books In tourist information offices Museum In destination area, by signposts and signboards, cultural performances etc. By the tourist guide

Role of the tour operator Inform tourists before choosing the destination Inform tourists before travel Tour operator chooses travel agent and guide Travel agent in Nepal provides information Travel guide is able to provide tourist information about the area, culture and code of conduct It is in the tour operator’s interest to have satisfied clients

Role of the Tourist guide Tourist guide tells tourists what to do/not to do and where to go/not go

Tourist guide has to internalize appropriate behavior him/her self Expectations from tourist guide and group should be clear

Education/intrepetation of tourism for local communities Tourism awareness and knowledge building programs

Information Boards At places of interest, cross roads or entrances Often combined with village/area maps Information is important for all users Relatively large in size, no uniform design Can contain Do’s and Don’t’s, regulations Information about risks Can contain tourist information of attractions but also local business Designed and managed by ? (communities, with government support) Can include direction, altitude, distances etc.

Tourist signposts Along the tourist trail at cross roads To show direction, small in size Should be in clear uniform design (logo, color) Designed with the local community and with local resources Managed by the local community, with support of the local government

CONCLUSIONS The message should be clearly communicated Using all the senses Accessible to all users, multiple-use if need felt Information dissemination does not have to be expensive Use mix of information tools in destination Involvement of all tourism stakeholders from the beginning to assure ownership and sustainability Involve tour operators, tourist guides Feasible