Governance and Community Advocacy in Tourism Development: An International Comparison

Different types of governance structures exist and operate in tourism, with these approaches always changing as they develop into more suitable or effective forms by adjusting to specific contexts and situations. Consequently, collaboration and partnerships have become a key element of destination management, with an increased recognition of the range of stakeholders who have an interest in tourism planning and development. Ideally, these partnership arrangements would ensure relevant stakeholders from government, business and voluntary sectors are engaged in decision making. However, difficulty in accommodating a wide variety of interests within collaborative governance structures is apparent, often culminating in conflict and power imbalances between stakeholder groups. The structures and representation mechanisms in place appear to be crucial in enabling a balanced perspective and effective representation of the destination community. Therefore, collaborative approaches need to be examined within broader notions of governance, with an examination of the appropriate role of government and the changing relationships and expectations between government and communities.

The purpose of this study was to analyse and interpret governance approaches in tourism from an international perspective, addressing the need to understand the relevant structures, processes and the implications for stakeholder representation in the different approaches of governance. This study employed a qualitative comparative case study methodology, with case studies explored from York (United Kingdom) and Seville (Spain), involving a total of 42 interviews with key informants. Two approaches to tourism governance were examined and were found to differ in their representation and participation of stakeholders. The research identified a framework for stakeholder collaboration centred on the engagement of networks and associations within a destination governance approach. Finally, and as a consequence of the analysis, a framework for evaluating tourism governance structures is outlined and contributes both a method and a perspective that is available to evaluate governance arrangements in other tourist destinations.