Tourism planning and power within micropolitan community development

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to investigate the community planning processes associated with the development of a new and iconic attraction in a micropolitan community. The four sources of evidence in the case study research were communication with community leaders, planning documents, newspaper articles, and observations. Two hypotheses were formulated with the first phrased as planning for a proposed iconic tourist attraction is heavily swayed by power networks for immediate gains in economic development and was not being supported by the research. The rival hypothesis was phrased as planning for organic growth of selected recreational assets into tourist attractions is realized through collaborative power networks and public involvement based on long-term sustainability was supported. Analytic generalization applies to power networks, planning processes, and tourism integration in community development. The analyses contained two power networks termed iconic and integrative. An illustration incorporating power networks and a planning continuum is presented.

Keywords:

• development
• tourism
• planning
• power
• case study
• micropolitan