National Tourism Export Strategy

Overview

Tourism drives socio-economic growth and increases foreign exchange earnings. Yet few countries tackle tourism as an export sector.

Tourism is an export sector, because it brings in foreign exchange, grows national output, and takes place in the international marketplace. Tourism can generate employment, increase government revenue, and raise standards of living.

A National Tourism Export Strategy creates a blueprint to develop a competitive tourism as an export sector.

An NTES provides a blueprint for the development and competitiveness of tourism

A National Tourism Export Strategy is comprehensive and participative

Comprehensive scope

Tourism has huge growth potential. Success depends on many things. Some, like service, are traditionally understood as part of the tourism sector. Others, like public transport, are not. Tourism Export Strategies consider:

How is the sector performing, and what's its potential
What ʻproductʻ is being sold to tourists
Understanding the market and options for diversification
What are the market's strengths and weaknesses vis-à-vis competitors

Identify an all-encompassing development vision
Prioritize sub-sectors, key projects and client segments
Options for value acquisition, retention, addition, creation, distribution
Coordination of implementation management structures and systems

Design process

ITC has developed a unique approach and state-of-the-art methodology to design, manage and implement National Tourism Export Strategies through a 10-step process.

1. Understand the sector and strategic priorities	Audit of the tourism, trade and investment network. Baseline data includes arrivals and visitor spending, along with an assessment of tourism's contribution to the economy.
2. Understand the "product" and options for diversification	Define the ʻofferʻ. An evaluation of tourism products and businesses assesses the business operating environment, from health and safety to cultural and environmental concerns. This shows what additional products could be offered.
3. Understand the market and options for diversification	Identify key market segments in new and existing markets. Geographic, socio-cultural, demographic, psychographic and product-related segmentation help direct the strategy.
4. Assess strengths and weaknesses	Map and analyze competitors. Identifying comparative and competitive advantages clarifies unique selling propositions. Complementarities, with neighbouring countries, can also benefit tourism.
5. Prioritize sub-sectors and client groups	Focus on areas best able to meet the country's commercial and development objectives. Realistic targets that achieve tangible results help decide how to allocate resources for each sub-sector.
6. Establish strategic orientation	Define a vision for tourism, with medium-term strategic objectives. These combine commercial, economic, and social interests by engaging policymakers, trade and investment support institutions, the private sector, and civil society.
7. Identify options for value acquisition	Reinforce existing strengths and develop new ones. A thorough value-chain approach identifies how to make tourism higher quality, more profitable, and socially inclusive. Chart the future value chain for each priority area.
8. Prioritize support services	Identify key support services for tourism, with a detailed strategy and plan of action for each.
9. Design an action plan	Agree on targets, measures, responsibilities and timelines. Each priority area gets a plans of action, with an implementation management framework that highlights the needed structures and systems.
10. Establish implementation management systems	Put the strategy into action with ITC technical assistance that includes advisory support, capacity-building, specialized tools, coordination guidance, project development, and facilitation of resource mobilization.