Creating Shared Value

The Social and Cultural Benefits

of Tourism
Ken Robinson CBE FTS

Tourism:
Appreciation of the Benefits:
Free market capitalism has been dependent on financial
growth
Expectations and results of Tourist Boards/Operators are
measured by Volume and Value
We have become pre-conditioned to measure success
only through economic and numerical indicators:
Volume and Value
Tourist Numbers up/down by X%
Profit Targets, Forecasts
Increasing Spend
Growing the margin

Tourism:
Financial, Social and Cultural Benefits
Commercial organisations usually achieve success, and
are judged by their ability to exploit all opportunities to
maximise profit.
Corporate Social Responsibility is seen by most
responsible operators/businesses as an optional extra
delivering good works
What have been the natural outcomes of market-driven
tourism? The evidence is clear; outcomes often show that
development erodes environment, visitor volumes overload
resources, safety and sanitation come under threat,
cultural traditions are distorted, community is alienated,
social pressures build and can be difficult to overcome.

Tourism:
Tourism must be managed.
Management can optimise results, minimise disbenefits
The Management of Tourism is not the topic for now

Social and Cultural Benefits:

For who?
The benefits that are derived by visitors
The benefits that are gained by host communities

Tourism:
Social and Cultural Benefits:
How are the benefits achieved?
Social and Cultural benefits are an intrinsic
consequence of tourism activity
Social and Cultural benefits can be identified,
selected, enhanced, and manipulated
The context for optimising Social and Cultural
Benefits is active management:
- by tourism operators/businesses
- by the host community

Tourism:
Community Related Benefits
Maintenance and improvement of the public realm including the
development of infrastructure, facilities, and improvements to
cleanliness, safety and amenity value
Contributes to the viability of local services and facilities that are
essential for host communities eg., pubs, local shops, post offices.
Encourages the protection of community assets, and preservation
and protection of the natural and built environment
Contributes to maintaining and enhancing cultural and heritage
assets (can initially be seen as the only/main reason to save)
Continuity of local traditions, festivals, cultural events, crafts
The appreciation of local food and drink including local markets
Creating and sustaining employment maintains viable communities,
providing a stability to community life
The stimulation of local and civic pride, enhancing the sense of
community and creating social capital

Tourism:
Visitor Related Benefits
The enhancement of physical and psychological health
A catalyst for change, fresh ideas, new opportunities in a
changing world
An awareness and appreciation of other people and
cultures
The improvement of quality of life
Improved knowledge
The encouragement to learn new skills, languages, etc
Reduction in anti-social behaviour

Tourism:
Social and Cultural Benefits:
Unprompted recognition by Residents

5 ways to wellbeing
The New Economics Foundations
Foresight Project:

Tourism:
Social and Cultural Benefits:
The Social and Cultural benefits of Tourism are
greatly under-appreciated
There is vast untapped potential, and gain, for
Tourism operators/businesses and communities,
in recognising and exploiting these attributes
But old habits die hard.businesses, and
incentivised staff, are likely to favour volume and
financial value unless and until the true worth of
social and cultural benefits are understood by all.