Tourism growth that isn't planned tends to solve itself the hard way — through overcrowded infrastructure, strained resources, and destinations that lose the character that attracted visitors in the first place. Tourism Planning exists to get ahead of that outcome, shaping how a region or destination grows deliberately rather than reacting to demand after it's already overwhelmed local capacity. The Tourism Planning and Development Training Course, delivered by the British Academy for Training and Development, is built for professionals responsible for guiding tourism growth in a way that benefits the destination and the communities within it.

This course treats tourism planning as a strategic, long-term discipline that connects policy, infrastructure, and market positioning into a coherent direction for growth. Participants learn how to develop a tourism strategy that aligns growth targets with realistic infrastructure and community capacity, how to guide destination development projects from early planning through implementation, and how to plan for cultural tourism in a way that celebrates local heritage without commodifying or degrading it. Participants leave with a practical framework for planning tourism growth that is deliberate, sustainable, and genuinely beneficial to the destinations involved.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Apply tourism planning principles to guide deliberate, sustainable growth
• Develop a tourism strategy aligned with realistic infrastructure and capacity
• Guide destination development projects from planning through implementation
• Apply cultural tourism principles that respect and preserve local heritage
• Coordinate tourism planning across government, business, and community stakeholders
• Anticipate infrastructure and resource needs before demand outpaces capacity
• Balance economic growth objectives against cultural and environmental preservation
• Evaluate tourism planning outcomes using relevant performance indicators

Target Group

• Tourism planning professionals within government and regional bodies
• Destination development managers and project coordinators
• Tourism board and destination management organization staff
• Urban and regional planners involved in tourism-related development
• Cultural heritage professionals working within the tourism sector
• Professionals preparing for leadership roles in tourism planning and development

• Foundations of Tourism Planning
  • Core principles distinguishing deliberate tourism planning from reactive growth
  • Understanding the stakeholders involved in coordinated tourism development
• Developing a Tourism Strategy
  • Building a tourism strategy aligned with realistic infrastructure and capacity
  • Setting growth targets that reflect long-term destination sustainability
• Guiding Destination Development Projects
  • Managing destination development projects from planning through implementation
  • Coordinating infrastructure, investment, and community priorities
• Cultural Tourism Principles
  • Applying cultural tourism principles that respect and preserve local heritage
  • Avoiding commodification that degrades cultural sites and traditions
• Stakeholder Coordination in Tourism Planning
  • Coordinating government, business, and community stakeholders around shared goals
  • Managing competing interests in tourism development decisions
• Infrastructure and Capacity Planning
  • Anticipating infrastructure needs before demand outpaces available capacity
  • Planning for transportation, accommodation, and public services growth
• Balancing Growth and Preservation
  • Balancing tourism growth objectives against cultural and environmental preservation
  • Making planning trade-offs that protect long-term destination value
• Evaluating Tourism Planning Outcomes
  • Measuring tourism planning outcomes using relevant performance indicators
  • Adjusting development plans based on evolving visitor and community data
• Sustaining Long-Term Tourism Development
  • Embedding tourism planning into ongoing regional and destination strategy
  • Reviewing and updating development plans as conditions evolve