When planning a new tourism project or venture, it is imperative to identify the
legislation and regulations you need to comply with. Legislation means the laws
(the Acts) which need to be complied with. You will need to comply with the laws
of the individual countries in which tourism activities are being conducted and/or
consider relevant aspects of laws which may emerge.
There are also by-laws, and these are mandatory rules and regulations imposed by
various bodies such as government agencies, local councils and local communities.
Check government websites to look for legislation information and seek legal
advice before commencing your venture. You may also want to meet with local
economic development officers to ask their advice. You should be aware of the
activities of bodies such as ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) as they
can provide lots of useful information.
Voluntary Codes of Practice may be created by an industry body to set industry-
wide standards for its members. These may be recognised by a government agency
who use them to support attainment of their strategic plans.
Standard operating procedures (SoPs) are developed by individual tourism
operators to operate their businesses in compliance with legal requirements and
customer needs.
Operators may seek to create an individual Code of Practice that provides a 'point
of difference' for them when compared with their competitors. This can be used
to create a public statement about themselves to customers to advertise and
demonstrate their orientation and practices regarding responsible tourism. For
example, some businesses donate a part of the money they receive from tourists to
local communities.
Planning
36
