Designation of tourism development areas provides the basis for integrated planning of the area so that it functions efficiently and is relatively self-contained. From the planning perspective the importance of having designated TDAs is that they:

• Help create critical mass – making it economic to provide a range of facilities and services in an area.
• Diversify the product offer in a way that can be promoted to different niche markets, thereby facilitating product branding.
• Allow different forms of tourism development to co-exist – designating particular areas for nature tourism only, other areas for more intensive use