Community Roundtables for Tourism-Related Conflicts: The

Dialectics of Concensus and Process Structures

Emily McIntyre

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Outline Plan

• Introduction• Tourism Planning and Development• Case Study: Canmore, Alberta• Initiating and Convening• GMC Stakeholder Criteria• The Shotgun Rule• Benefits• Limitation • Conclusion

Introduction

Close in culture due to:

-globalization

-modernization

-increased mobility of people and cultures

Therefore, an emphasis is being put on a community-based approach to sustainable tourism

Tourism Plannng and Development

• A political domain

• Also needs cooperative alliances between public and private sector stakeholders

• This research highlights the importance of the notion of a ‘concensus’

• Case study used to explain issues, examples and implications of reaching a concensus

Case study: Canmore, Alberta

Interviews and public meetings to gain rich information on the stakeholders perspectives of community-based tourism processes

Inherent need as Canmore, is socio-economically reliant on tourism devolopment which is leading to pressures on this mountain destination

GMC: A community based collaboration initiation in 1994

GMC’s aim: A shift from political-based decision making to community-based decision making

Initiating and Convening

• Key stakeholders: developers, NGO’s, cultural groups, etc.

• Conditions of Decisions based on:• Comprimising, Collaboration and reaching a

Concensus• Bow Valley Naturalists did not participate, as ‘no

growth’ was not on the table for discussion, yet it was an ‘interest-based’ process

But, how is a concensus possible, when some are not willing to comprimise?

GMC Stakeholder Criteria:

• Been in the community for 8 years• University Educated• Keen interest in getting involved• Seen as a legitimate representative of community

based interests• Representative of a valid interests of a stakeholder

group and not personal interests(Process would have been unmanageable if it were

structured around individuals with ‘general broad concerns’)

Barriers to Entry

• Initiators claimed nothing was stopping lower-end housing and the trailer park community, although several barriers to entry for them

• Such as ‘being connected’ which had to be through community leaders or active volunteer work and experience with ‘concensus-oriented’ public spheres

The Shotgun Rule

• If a participant walked away from the process, there were tremendous costs to be paid- the process was ended

• This was perceived to be vital in keeping the process together and initially approved but later found to be ‘just hell’ in some stakeholders cases

• Individuals felt compelled to stay on for fear of repercussion from the community for terminating the process, which meant feeling coerced or not listened to

• As well as walking away from potential gains

Potential Benefits

• Achieving local empowerment• Address local level conflict• Conflict resolution• Cooperation and finding a common ground• Variety of stakeholders involved to meet their

needs and desires• Community building• Convening to reach a consensus• Sustainable development

Limitations

• Barriers to entry and repression of participants• Not representative to all stakeholders• Challenges of democratic representation• Conflicting interests of nature, culture and community• Not all interests on the table• Time constraints• Financial constraints• Exhausting and several respondents struggled with

comprehending the complex planning domain

Limitations Continued

• Mediators as ‘neutral’ or ‘impartial’ raised an issue

• Power domination such as, Shotgun rule and Rule of Late Entry

• Obligations to remain in decision making

Conclusion

• To achieve sustainable of rapidly declining natural and cultural resources, stakeholders must work together and closely with the natural and socio-cultural environment

• Valuable mechanism for address community based development

• Hopefully can result in resolution to tourism-related conflicts and a movement from a destructive to constructive approach

Thank you

Feel free to ask any questions or state any concerns!