Network-based planning for the sustainable development of tourism destinations: conceptual approach

Abstract

Tourism planning applies to the tourism system, the same basic concepts and approaches of global planning. Among other goals, it aims to bring benefits to local actors while maintaining the sustainability of tourism industry. The sustainability of tourism demands for the development of effective networks between economic actors. The community involvement and participation both in the planning process and in networks is crucial. Considering that the dynamics between tourism stakeholders may result in constraints to sustainable planning due to the diversity of interests, it is important to involve the local community through a network-based planning process framed in collaborative policies. The present paper aims to conduct a state of art review about the tourism planning processes, the sustainable development of tourism destinations and the role of networks in linking these dimensions. The main objective is to create a conceptual framework for networked tourism planning processes supporting destinations’ sustainable development.