SUSTAINABLE TOURISM PLANNING FRAMEWORKS

Visitor Impact Management (VIM)

Visitor Impact Management (VIM) is a framework for managing the expected impact of visitor
activity in a given environment. It covers a variety of processes and techniques for managing visitors,
their activities, and the effects they have in specific areas. Visitor Impact Management (VIM) is a strategy
for identifying unacceptable changes caused by visitors and then implementing or developing
management strategies to keep visitor impacts at acceptable levels, which integrates the clean production
concept into the tourism industry through sustainable use goals. It is an important aspect of tourism
management by both private and public organizations, particularly in natural areas with unique values that
must be protected.

This framework addresses three (3) basic uses relating to visitor impacts, which are referred to as
Problem Conditions, Potential Causal Factors, and Potential Management Strategies. The basic Visitor
Impact Management framework that focuses primarily on unacceptable visitor impacts is the first use in
which relating to visitor impacts is Problem conditions. The second category is potential causal factors,
which are the factors that have a significant impact on the occurrence and severity of unacceptable
impacts. The third category is potential management strategies, which are selections of potential
management strategies for mitigating undesirable effects and conditions. There is no way to tell whether
tourism at a site is truly sustainable unless some means of monitoring negative visitor impacts are in
place. There are also potential indicators of the impact of the VIM framework, which generally identifies
or covers three (3) aspects: physical, biological, and social.

The Visitor Impact Management (VIM) framework is made up of eight (8) subsequent steps that
provide a method for assessing visitor impacts. The eight (8) steps of the VIM framework are as follows:

1. Pre – Assessment Data Base Review - is concerned with identifying and summarizing existing
or current data and information within the area.
2. Review of Management Objectives - there must be a review of existing management objectives
or plans, such as visitor experience and resource management.
3. Selection of Key Impacts Indicators - determines the key indicators for visitor impacts across
three (3) dimensions: environmental, economic, and social.
4. Selection of Standards for Key Impact Indicators - involves determining which standards will or
must address the key indicators of visitor impacts.
5. Comparison of Standards and Existing Conditions - is a comparison of standards and existing
conditions. In this step, the standards are compared to the existing conditions in the area of
interest.
6. Identification of Probable Causes of Impacts - identifies the causes of visitor impacts.
7. Identification of Management Strategies/Measures - proposes management strategies as well
as necessary measures.
8. Plan Implementation - is the processor implementation that converts strategies and plans into
actions that are properly monitored and evaluated to achieve strategic objectives and goals.

Visitor Activity Management Process (VAMP)

 The Visitor Activity Management Process, or VAMP framework, is a Parks Canada concept that
guides the planning and management of new, developing, and established parks. The Visitor Activity
Management Process (VAMP) framework is based on the management decision-making order. As a
result, the decisions are specific through the selection and creation of a variety of opportunities for
visitors to experience that is appropriate to the park's heritage setting. Through a management plan,
VAMP matches visitor interests with specific education and outdoor recreation opportunities for each
conservation area.

The framework combines social science principles with marketing to focus on the analysis of
opportunity rather than the reduction of negative visitor impacts to the environment, wildlife, and local
lifestyles. The VAMP framework also identifies what interpretive and recreational activities, operational
decisions, and service facilities are appropriate. They also conduct periodic reviews of national directives
to ensure that new forms of outdoor recreation are adequately considered. In developing indicators and
standards for this framework, factors such as visitor activity profiles, stakeholder profiles, resource values
and constraints, existing legislation and policies, and management direction and plans are taken into
account.

The Visitor Activity Management Process (VAMP) framework is a tool for understanding and
managing visitor use, risk assessment and management, and activity identification. The VAMP
framework is made up of seven (7) concrete steps. The general steps of the VAMP framework are as
follows:

1. Produce Project Terms - this pertains to come up with terms that will be used as references
during the process.
2. Confirm Existing Objectives - this step confirms the park’s existing purpose together with its
objective statements.
3. Organize a Database Describing Park Ecosystems and Settings - on this step these includes
potential educational and recreational visitor opportunities, existing or current visitor activities
and services, as well as the regional context of the area. Cooperate with schools, universities and
other learning institutions in developing public education programs, and to encourage the use of
conservation areas as centers for environmental education and research.
4. Analyze Existing Area Situation - this is to identifying the heritage themes, the resource
capability and suitability, appropriate visitor activities, the park’s role in the region and the role of
private sectors. As new or modified forms of outdoor recreation emerge, each will be assessed for
its appropriateness nationally before consideration in the management planning process. The
private and voluntary organizations will be encouraged to plan, develop and operate essential
visitor services and facilities.
5. Produce Alternative Visitor Activity Concepts - it is all about come up with alternative
resources for the park setting, experiences to be supported, visitor market segments, as well as
levels of service guidelines and the roles of both the region and private sectors.
6. Create a Park Management Plan - this is the Sixth step in which it is the Plan for the park’s
role and its purpose, the management objectives and guidelines, the regional relationships and as
well as the private sector. It provides accurate information of the area's ecosystems,
environmental issues and protection programs of these ecosystems.
 7. Plan Implementation - this step is setting the priorities for the park’s conversation and its
service planning for implementation. The process uses a model based on a hierarchy of decisions
within the management program.

Visitor Experience and Resource Protection (VERP)

Visitor Experience and Resource Protection, or VERP, is a framework developed by the National
Park Service of the United States to address the issue of national park carrying capacity. It was created to
aid in visitor use planning and to address visitor use management and carrying capacity issues in national
park units, in terms of resource quality and social conditions, by defining what levels of use are
appropriate, where, when, and why.

This framework is also a modified version of Limits Acceptable Change (LAC), with additional
steps added to the process such as identifying the park's significance, basic resources, and desired future
conditions. The following factors are taken into account in the VERP planning process: park purpose
statement, statements of park significance, visitor experience opportunities, management zones, and
resource characteristics intended for visitor use. Rather than reacting to identified problem areas, this
framework is more proactive than LAC because it defines desired conditions.

The Visitor Experience and Resource Protection (VERP) framework work best as a management
planning framework that includes public participation in the planning process. The VERP framework is
made up of nine (9) sequential steps, which are as follows:

1. Assemble the Interdisciplinary Project Team - which the core team of this process should
include those who can develop and implement the plan. Thus, it is advisable to have a team or
group that is composed of people from various backgrounds and expertise.
2. Develop a Public Involvement Strategy - in this process it is the same with other planning
efforts, therefore the public must be involved in Visitor Experience and Resource Protection
(VERP) planning to achieve its desired objectives.
3. Develop Statements for Park Purpose, Significance, and Primary Interpretative themes;
identify planning mandates and constraints - this step that these statements serves as the
foundation of the VERP plan and how the implementation strategies are built.
4. Analyze Park Resources and Existing Visitor Use - wherein this step aims to fully understand
the existing park resources and its visitors use. However, the analysis of these elements should be
documented usually by a combination of maps, texts and other different models.
5. Describe a Potential Range of Visitor Experiences and Resource conditions (Potential
Prescriptive Zones) - in this step the prescription of potential zones can be done through the
assessment of different desired visitor experience opportunities and the resource conditions that is
present in the park. In addition, the Zone Prescription should include appropriate levels of
activity, development and management for them to be able to achieve its associated standards.
6. Allocate the Potential Zones to Specific locations within the park (Prescriptive Management
Zoning) - In this step the prescribed zones are assigned to specific locations. The Zoning in the
VERP process stipulate the future conditions rather than describing the existing or current ones.
7. Select Indicators and Specify Standards for each zone; develop a monitoring Plan - the
indicators and standards are identified for each zones. By this, the monitoring plan identifies
prioritizes, methods, funding, staffing and analysis requirements.
8. Monitor Resource and Social Indicators - the staffs regularly monitor the resources and social
conditions in various zones.
9. Take Management Actions - this step is when the indicators for social and resource conditions
are out of standard, and the management action will take the lead.