GapEdu Tourism Development Insights™
Episode 2
The Missing Link Between Policy and Implementation
Why great tourism strategies succeed only when destinations build the capacity to implement them.
A Tourism Strategy Is Only the Beginning
Around the world, governments invest significant time and resources in developing tourism master plans, national tourism strategies and destination development frameworks.
These documents are often supported by extensive research, international expertise and broad stakeholder consultation.
Yet many destinations continue to face the same challenge.
The strategy is completed.
The vision is applauded.
The document is published.
But implementation progresses far more slowly than expected.
The missing link is rarely another strategy.
It is implementation capacity.
This is not simply GapEdu’s observation. It is increasingly reflected in international policy research.
The OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2026, analysing tourism governance across 53 OECD and partner countries, concludes that governments are increasingly shifting their attention from producing new strategies towards strengthening governance systems, institutional capacity, destination management and coordination across all levels of government. The report emphasises that successful tourism development depends on having the institutional capability to plan, implement and monitor tourism policy and destination management, rather than simply publishing policy documents.
Policy explains what should happen.
Implementation determines whether it actually happens.
Why Good Tourism Strategies Often Fall Short
Most tourism strategies do not fail because they are poorly designed.
They struggle because implementation requires something far more demanding than producing a high-quality document.
It requires institutions capable of translating vision into everyday decisions.
Very quickly, practical questions emerge.
- Who is accountable for each action?
- How do ministries coordinate their responsibilities?
- How do municipalities translate national priorities into local action?
- How are tourism businesses engaged?
- How are communities empowered to participate?
- How is progress measured?
- Who adapts the strategy when circumstances change?
Without clear answers, even the strongest strategy gradually loses momentum.
Implementation is therefore not a phase at the end of a project.
It is a capability that must exist throughout the development system.
Tourism Development Is Fundamentally a Governance Challenge
Unlike many sectors, tourism cannot be managed by a single institution.
Visitor experiences depend simultaneously on transport, infrastructure, investment, culture, environment, education, labour, security, regional authorities, businesses and local communities.
Tourism is therefore fundamentally a governance challenge, not simply a policy challenge.
The OECD notes that tourism policy is becoming increasingly interconnected with transport, housing, labour markets, regional development, environmental management and digitalisation. Governments are therefore adopting more integrated, agile and whole-of-government approaches that strengthen coordination across ministries while empowering destinations to implement national priorities locally.
Successful destinations therefore invest not only in policy design but also in:
- Strong governance structures
- Clear institutional responsibilities
- Cross-government coordination
- Destination management capability
- Capacity building
- Reliable tourism intelligence
- Continuous monitoring
- Public–private collaboration
- Local ownership
These are the mechanisms that transform policy into everyday decision-making.
International Practice Is Changing
Leading destinations increasingly recognise that implementation deserves as much attention as strategy.
For example, Czechia has shifted from relying on a single tourism strategy to implementing evolving national action plans supported by stronger destination management organisations, improved coordination between national, regional and local authorities, and aligned tourism strategies across all regions.
This reflects a broader international trend.
Governments are investing less in producing additional policy documents and more in strengthening the institutions, partnerships and governance systems required to deliver measurable results.
Implementation Is a Shared Responsibility
Implementation is not only a public-sector responsibility.
Leading tourism companies increasingly recognise that their long-term success depends on the strength of the destinations in which they operate.
One of the strongest examples is Marriott International.
Through its Serve 360: Doing Good in Every Direction sustainability and social impact platform, Marriott has embedded destination stewardship into its global business strategy. Rather than focusing solely on hotel operations, the company invests in workforce development, environmental stewardship, community resilience and local economic opportunity. Marriott’s approach is guided by a simple philosophy: creating communities that are better places to live, work and visit.
This reflects an important lesson for tourism development.
Even the world’s strongest hospitality brands cannot consistently deliver exceptional visitor experiences where governance is weak, institutions lack capacity, infrastructure is inadequate or local partnerships are fragmented.
Successful hotels therefore depend on successful destinations.
The OECD reaches a similar conclusion from a public policy perspective, highlighting that effective tourism implementation requires active participation from the private sector alongside governments, with coordinated governance mechanisms that enable all stakeholders to deliver a common vision for tourism.
Destination competitiveness is therefore no longer created by governments acting alone.
It is created when governments provide leadership, businesses invest, communities participate and institutions connect these efforts through effective implementation.
Tourism strategies create direction.
Shared implementation creates lasting impact.
Implementation Is a System
One of the biggest misconceptions in development is treating implementation as the final stage of a project.
In reality, implementation is an operating system.
It continuously connects:
Policy → Governance → Institutions → People → Partnerships → Resources → Decisions → Monitoring → Learning → Improvement
When one component weakens, the entire development system slows.
When these elements reinforce one another, destinations become increasingly capable of adapting, innovating and sustaining development beyond political cycles.
Implementation is not about completing activities.
It is about building systems that continue creating value.
Beyond Publishing the Strategy
Many destinations celebrate the launch of a tourism master plan.
Far fewer invest in building the capability required to operate it successfully.
The OECD identifies institutional capability, digital transformation, stronger governance, data systems and destination management as critical enablers of effective implementation. Governments are increasingly investing in tourism intelligence, digital tools and artificial intelligence to support evidence-based decision-making and continuous policy adaptation rather than one-off implementation.
Successful implementation therefore requires:
- Governance mechanisms that connect institutions.
- Skilled people capable of translating strategy into action.
- Shared accountability among stakeholders.
- Reliable monitoring systems that enable continuous improvement.
- A culture of learning rather than one-time project delivery.
Implementation is not an event.
It is an ongoing capability.
GapEdu Insight
Policies create direction.
Implementation creates transformation.
The destinations that succeed are rarely those with the most comprehensive tourism strategies.
They are the ones that invest in governance, institutions, people and partnerships capable of turning strategy into everyday action.
The GapEdu Perspective
International evidence increasingly confirms what GapEdu has observed through years of working with governments, destinations and tourism stakeholders.
The future challenge in tourism development is no longer writing better tourism strategies.
It is building stronger implementation systems.
This principle forms the foundation of the GapEdu Sustainability of Development Framework (SDF).
Rather than viewing implementation as the final phase of a consultancy project, we see it as a living development system that connects governance, institutions, partnerships, financing, people and continuous learning.
Our role is not simply to help governments produce tourism strategies.
Our role is to strengthen the capability of destinations—and their public and private sector partners—to implement, adapt and sustain those strategies independently.
Because sustainable tourism is not created when a strategy is launched.
It is created when a destination develops the capacity to continue creating value long after external support has concluded.
That is the difference between delivering a project and building a development system.
About GapEdu Tourism Development Insights™
GapEdu Tourism Development Insights™ is a thought leadership series by GapEdu – Global Consultancy on Development Policy and Practice.
The series explores the practical realities behind tourism transformation by combining international evidence with implementation experience gained through working with governments, development partners and private-sector stakeholders.
Each episode aims to move the conversation beyond policy design towards governance, institutional capability and lasting development outcomes.
Sources
This article is informed primarily by the OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2026, which analyses tourism governance and policy developments across 53 OECD and partner countries, and by Marriott International’s Serve 360sustainability and social impact framework. Together they illustrate a common conclusion: successful tourism development depends not only on sound policies but on effective governance, capable institutions, active public–private collaboration and strong implementation systems.