There are a number of planning methods available for application in relation to the integrated planning and management of resources and natural areas for tourism related development. They include a mix of statutory, non-statutory and process-based approaches used internationally and in New Zealand. The twelve approaches covered in this tool kit are:

• Resource Management Act (RMA) framework
• Conservation Act (CA) framework
• Local government strategic planning (regional and district tourism strategies)
• Master planning
• Structure planning
• Resort planning
• Spatially-based planning and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
• Environmental regional planning
• World Tourism Organisation (WTO) planning approach
• Ecotourism planning
• Long term council community planning
• Marine planning

Each of these planning approaches, from the perspective of integrated tourism planning, seeks some level of sustainability. They also seek to embed tourism business planning and management into a coherent and integrated framework at a national, regional or local level. Some methods specifically address tourism, whereas other, mainly statutory approaches (e.g., the RMA and CA frameworks and related approaches such as master and structure planning) deal with tourism in relation to other matters. The majority of the methods are government (central or local) initiated, but many are also applicable to private sector initiation.

The methods differ widely in their approach and application. Some are biased towards providing a management structure for development to occur in a sustainable way at a high level (e.g., the WTO approach and parts of the RMA and long term council community planning frameworks). Others are based on management for conservation of natural values beyond the interests of development (e.g., CA framework). Some methods are more locally focused and are effectively tools for management of specific sites and proposals (e.g. Master Plans, Structure Plans and Resort Plans). Zoning approaches, marine and ecotourism planning can be applied across a range of [levels][scales] from local to regional.

There is provision for public input (in varying degrees) in all of the methods. In theory this is to enable bottom-up planning, but this bottom-up planning is often used in combination with a top-down approach. The consultation process is conducted through various means (i.e., working groups, submissions, consultation meetings), as described in the Participation group of tools.