Tourism Management 23 (2002) 639–645

Book reviews

Regional tourism planning principles

Wu, B.; China Travel and Tourism Press, Beijing, China,2001, 711pp., price 58 yuan, ISBN 7 5032 1825 8

Regional Tourism Planning Principles is one of the firstbooks included in the Academic Series of Tourism

Sciences. Published by China Tourism Press, the seriesfocuses on the collection of manuscripts with a high levelof originality and scientific rigor. While the series istheoretical in nature, contributions are also evaluated bythe criteria of practical applicability, empirical evidence,innovativeness of approach, and writing styles thatadhere to international norms. This particular contribu-tion by Dr. Bihu Wu is based on the author’s ownexperience as the principal investigator of over a dozentourism planning projects, as well as his critical reviewof more than 2500 articles and books. Currently,Dr. Wu is an Associate Professor in the Departmentof Urban and Regional Planning, School of Environ-mental and Geographical Sciences at Peking Universityand Director of the Research Center for TourismDevelopment and Planning. He was one of the firstscholars in China’s postdoctoral program in tourismplanning, and a visiting scholar in East China NormalUniversity and Purdue University in the US. Dr. Wu isthe author of more than 80 research papers andscholarly books in tourism.It is highly commendable that such a comprehensive

book on tourism planning is published at this time inChina. Over the last 5 years, there has been phenomenalgrowth of market demand in both international anddomestic tourism in China. The need for effectivetourism planning and empirical research is urgent asan increasing number of local governments and tourismbusinesses in China look toward tourism as a means foreffectively developing local economies. This book is ofsignificant value to Chinese tourism planners andscholars alike, as it not only explains the theoreticalprinciples of regional tourism planning (RTP), but alsoproposes a systematic framework and methods forpractical implementation.Regional Tourism Planning Principles comprises 11

chapters. It begins with the theoretical fundamentalsand general paradigm of RTP (Chapters 1 and 2). Thenext 9 chapters follow the flow of tourism planning inpractice, including background analysis and detailedresearch and analysis (Chapters 3 and 4), synthesis andplan development (Chapters 5–9), and plan implemen-

tation (Chapters 10 and 11). Each chapter addresses therelevant topic by describing its evolution, advances andbasic principles, and proposes operational tools.Chapter 1, Introduction to Regional Tourism Planning,

looks at the theoretical fundamentals of RTP. Followinga discussion on the general contributions of recreationand tourism research to RTP, the author introducestheories from the disciplines of geography, anthropol-ogy, regional science, and landscape ecology as provid-ing important conceptual guidelines to tourism researchand planning. The author suggests that tourism systemtheory is an appropriate base for RTP. A systems modelis proposed in this chapter, which consists of the fourcomponents of market, destination, travel, and support-ing resources. Chapter 2, General Paradigm of Regional

Tourism Planning, reviews the development of RTP inChina and delineates different types of RTP. The authorpresents the necessary elements in an effective RTP andproposes the ‘‘1-2-3-1’’ model to describe the relation-ships among these elements. The chapter concludes withtwo RTP cases, the Beijing Master Plan of TourismDevelopment and the Sichuan Master Plan of TourismDevelopment. Chapter 3, Analysis and Forecasting of the

Tourist Market, presents conceptual models and prac-tical methods for developing market profiles andforecasting market demand. The characteristics andtrends of Chinese international and domestic tourismmarkets are examined. Chapter 4, Inventory and

Evaluation of Tourist Resources, looks at the resourceaspects of the background analysis. Several classificationapproaches to tourism resources are introduced, includ-ing an amendment to the Tourism Resources TypologySystem proposed by the Geographical Institute, ChineseAcademy of Science, and the China National TourismAdministration in 1997. The chapter continues todescribe the assessment of resource quality and carryingcapacity by employing both qualitative and quantitativeevaluation criteria. Relationships among various tour-ism resources and products are examined. The chapterconcludes with the description of six resource valuationmethods.Chapter 5, Designing and Building Destination Image,

begins with essentials of destination image design,uniqueness of destinations, and nature of targetmarkets. A case from Yichun in Heilongjiang Provinceis used to demonstrate various aspects of destinationimage. In addition to the traditional image elements, theauthor emphasizes the function of landscape in building

destination image. Chapter 6, Development of Destina-

tion Pull Factors, examines the nature of tourismproducts in the context of product life cycle theory.The author presents an activity-involvement-basedtypology of tourism products. The typology, whichconsists of 13 categories, lays a foundation for twoproduct-driven models of tourism planning. Chapter 7,Spatial Structure, Land Use, and Tourist Route Design,employs a series of theories from tourism geography andeconomic geography as the groundwork for spatialstructure analysis, and provides guidelines for tourismregionalization, zoning, and spatial positioning forregional development. The Recreational Belt aroundMetropolis (ReBAM) study for Shanghai is presented asa successful case study. The chapter reviews the extantresearch on spatial models of travel, and clarifies the roleof themes and regional networks for designing anddeveloping tourist routes. Chapter 8, Destination Mar-

keting, outlines steps and methods of destinationmarketing, which are illustrated with the cases ofCanada and the City of Yichun. However, the issue ofmarketing evaluation is not given enough attention inthis chapter. Chapter 9, Travel and Hospitality Services,addresses the roles in RTP of transportation, travelintermediaries, lodging establishments, and supportingfacilities and services such as entertainment, shopping,and tour guiding.Chapter 10, Planning for Sustainable Tourism, focuses

on the application and implementation of sustainabledevelopment concepts in RTP in the socio-cultural andenvironmental contexts. The author goes into greatdetail in illustrating host and guest relationships,utilization and protection of native ecological andcultural systems, and architectural issues in designingboth overall tourism landscapes and specific attractions.Several models and methods for sustainable tourismdevelopment are presented and deal with a variety ofmanagement, control, and evaluation issues. Chapter 11,Supporting System and Implementation, elaborates uponthe politics of tourism planning. The author delineatesthree unique roles of government in RTP, and draws acomparison between Chinese practices and those else-where. The chapter also discusses the impacts oflegislation, financing and accounting, technology, andhuman resources on tourism planning.In general, Regional Tourism Planning Principles

distinguishes itself from other texts with some uniquefeatures. Although the concept is well known and widelyaccepted, tourism planning is a complicated processinvolving many layers of organizations and people andcomplex relationships. How to effectively organize thecontents and steps in tourism planning is a challenge.The author demonstrates a profound knowledge of RTPby employing the procedural process of RTP as themain thread to organize the whole book. This approachenhances the text’s readability, as well as increasing its

practical value. The advances that have been made inconceptual and empirical research in tourism planningare also comprehensively and critically reviewed.Wu’s book suggests that the main objectives of RTP

are: (1) to uncover the core problems in developing thelocal tourism industry; (2) based on the sustainabletourism and tourism system concepts, to understandleisure and recreation as an integrated market systeminvolving international, domestic, and local tourists;(3) to design and build tourism industry sectors; and(4) to develop practical implementation plans, strategies,and policies supporting regional socio-economic en-hancements. The author proposes a ‘‘1-2-3-1’’ RTPmodel indicating that a successful RTP necessitatessetting 1 goal, completing 2 fundamental analyses,designing 3 sectors, and constructing 1 supportingsystem. A major function of a RTP is, in the longerterm, to guide and standardize the management oftourism development in order to achieve one goal. Thisgoal, as the core of the tourism plan, determines theposition of tourism in the local economic structure andits intended speed of development. The goal defines thestages of development, a general positioning for tourism,and a series of key statements on the role of each part ofthe tourism system. The two fundamental analyses referto resource analysis and market research. The resourceanalysis produces a resource inventory and valuation,with a particular emphasis on measuring resourcepotential. The market research explores the current andpotential market demand for the planning area. Thesetwo analyses, from both the supply and demand sides,provide the basis for destination positioning and imagedesign, as well as for plan development. Designing threesectors addresses three interdependent sectors; the coresector of attractions and programs, the service sector offacilities and services, and the peripheral sector ofphysical and socio-cultural environments. To effectivelyimplement the plans in these three sectors, a supportingsystem is needed comprising government administrationand policy, legislation, finance, human resources, com-munity cooperation, and technology. The ‘‘1-2-3-1’’model delineates the essential framework of an RTPand the basic requirements for the plan. As such, it is theessence of the author’s tourism planning theory and thehighlight of his book.The difficulty involved with market forecasting

represents a major barrier to developing a successfulRTP. In Chapter 3, the author not only summarizes thetheories and techniques in the extant literature, but alsoproposes an original approach stemming from hisconsiderable experience in academic research andtourism planning practice. The theoretical foundationfor this approach is the relationship between thedistance and visitation patterns of Chinese domestictourists. The two key propositions are: (1) the visitationrate to a destination, especially a metropolitan area,

Book reviews / Tourism Management 23 (2002) 639–645640

declines along with increasing market distance; and(2) 80% of the market is located within 500 km of thedestination. This relationship is expressed by a contin-uous curve known as ‘‘Wu’s Curve’’ that is widelyaccepted by tourism scholars and has been extensivelyemployed in tourism planning and management inChina. Although this relationship is established on thebasis of data collected in China’s domestic market, itsvalue to tourism planners elsewhere is not necessarilycompromised when it comes to forecasting regionaldemand in domestic tourism. The ReBAM theoryintroduced in Chapter 7 offers a guide for setting upthe spatial structure of a planning area. ReBAM refersto the leisure facilities and destinations within thesuburban areas of a metropolitan area, which mainlyserve the residents of that region. The author proposesthis theory based on his research in Shanghai and, in thisbook, emphasizes the functional significance of spatialstructure analysis in tourism planning, in general, formetropolitan areas. Although there are some differencesbetween China and other countries, this theory isgenerally applicable in understanding and performingRTP.This book is a useful handbook for a variety of

audiences, including tourism planning consultants,government officials, and scholars. Tourism planningconsultants may derive the greatest benefits by acquiringa more thorough theoretical understanding of tourismplanning, along with many practical tools and techni-ques. The most important benefit for governmentofficials is that the book provides comprehensive cover-age of RTP. In China, the role of governments in RTP isindispensable. Equipped with knowledge from the book,government officials should be in a better position tosupport local tourism planning efforts. For scholars, thisbook is a rich collection of annotated research workswith over 2500 entries. It serves as a platform fordeveloping a research agenda on topics related totourism planning.As with any book, there are some limitations to

Regional Tourism Planning Principles. First and fore-

most, this book is only available in Chinese and, as such,it may be of little value to those who cannot readChinese. This illustrates the importance of academicexchange between tourism scholars in China and thoseelsewhere. Such exchanges will prevent ‘‘reinventingwheels’’ on both sides, and should be given a priority bythe tourism research community as China is playing agreater role in the international tourism arena. Second,this book is lacking in recommendations for the privatesector in tourism planning and development. This is notsurprising given the extensive government involvementin tourism planning and operations in China. A relatedweakness of the book is the lack of sufficient detail oneconomic feasibility analysis for individual tourismdevelopment projects.Despite these limitations, this book makes a signifi-

cant contribution to the research and practice of tourismplanning. With its unique features, the book distin-guishes itself from other texts on tourism planning.These texts include Clare Gunn’s two books, Tourism

Planning: Basics, Concepts, Cases (Taylor & Francis,1993) and Vacationscape: Developing Tourist Areas

(Taylor & Francis, 1997), Edward Inskeep’s National

and Regional Tourism Planning: Methodologies and Case

Studies (World Tourism Organization/Routledge, 1994),C. Michael Hall’s Tourism Planning: Policies, Processes

and Relationships (Addison-Wesley, 1999), and Tourism

and Recreation Handbook of Planning and Design

(Butterworth Architecture, 1998). Dr. Wu is to behighly commended for producing this highly sophisti-cated text on regional tourism planning at such anopportune time when China aims at developing itselfinto a tourism superpower in the next 30 years.

Alastair Morrison, Liping CaiDepartment of Hospitality and Tourism Management,

Stone Hall, Purdue University, Room 156,

West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA

E-mail addresses: alastair@cfs.purdue.edu (A. Morrison),liping@cfs.purdue.edu (L. Cai)

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Explore wine tourism: management, development &

destinations

D. Getz; Cognizant Communication Corporation,New York, 2000, ISBN 1882345339

The arrival of this book onto the library shelves andinto our local bookshops is both timely, and a welcome

addition to the growing body of knowledge, that hasbecome known as Wine & Food Tourism.To the innocent, or cynical, onlooker any academic

exercise that centres around wine could be interpreted asa ready made excuse for researchers to travel around theglobe to far-flung wine growing areas and to holdconference lunches in sunny vineyards, appropriately

Book reviews / Tourism Management 23 (2002) 639–645 641