Social impact management through planning and development : Hedonic Psychology and a new approach to tourism in Zanzibar

Abstract

This study proposes a new approach to tourism planning and development based on three threads in the literature on social impact management: (1) the current approach to tourism studies; (2) the writings and activities of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture; and, (3) the emerging field of Hedonic Psychology. Combining the best efforts of each of these fields -- respectively, understanding the tensions that arise in tourist areas, developing real-world projects, and understanding the psychological drivers of wellbeing -- creates this new approach, which I call the "Hedonic Psychology Approach." To illustrate the application or this approach and to expose the process of planning and development according to this approach, salient features of the Stone Town of Zanzibar are presented, including brief descriptions of the spatial, social, political, and economic conditions of the historic area. Several recommendations are proposed, from improving open space design to maximize interactions among people, to increasing the coordination new development to institutionalize the potential benefits of the new approach.