ABSTRACT
In part driven by the economic climate in the United Kingdom (UK) and in part driven by a belief in the prevention of ill health, and the wider benefits and economies that such an approach brings to society, the UK government is currently pursuing a ‘localised’ policy whereby health improvement functions are being relocated from health funded regional to local authority control (Hartwell, 2011). Underpinning such an approach is the view that the relocation of health improvement functions, and perhaps more significantly budgets, to local authorities across the UK will enable decision makers at the local level, where knowledge and expertise is more cognisant of local conditions, to prove more effective in enhancing the general levels of health and well-being of the local population than has proved achievable in the past. One of the interesting and more innovative opportunities arising from such a shift in policy at a national level, is the potential in many parts of the country to bring together health and tourism policies as a vehicle to promote physical and mental well-being for both residents and visitors. Not only can such a fusion of policies bring health benefits to resident and tourist communities but the adoption of health-friendly tourism strategies can help differentiate tourist destinations, serve as the essence of brand and brand-repositioning strategies, and at the same time generate economic benefit to the destination (Fyall, 2011). Notwithstanding, the primary rationale for the co-development of a tourism and public health policy is in the knowledge that the promotion of mental and physical health for residents and visitors alike is a socially To achieve such a desired state through a marriage of policies, collaboration between all key stakeholders is a necessity. Although with quite distinct agendas when looked at in isolation, the potential for tourism and health to be ‘natural’ partners is very real with considerable opportunity for the development of a sustainable symbiotic relationship; this despite the fact that historically neither have been intuitively connected (Hartwell, 2011). A strategic, policy-driven framework for planning and development of a destination with increased well-being as the intended outcome promotes a potentially competitive and sustainable avenue and is consistent with the wider sustainable and collaborative approach to the development of destinations advocated by Ritchie and Crouch (2003). They go on to add that such a policy will dictate the direction for strategic focus and will in turn form a clear statement of intent from a local government perspective. Not only will a combined health and tourism policy communicate the goals and intended footprint for a long-term vision for a destination but it will also put in place the mechanics for policy to be achieved. In this regard, the specific role of tourism policy is to establish a social, economic and infrastructural environment that enables the sector to develop and prosper in a sustainable manner where opportunities for policy synergy with health are evident, transparent, realistic and implementable.
