Tourism For Development

Tourism is widely considered to be an important factor in socio-economic development, particularly in less developed countries. However, despite almost universal recognition of tourism’s development potential, the extent to which economic and social progress is linked to the growth of a country’s tourism sector remains the subject of intense debate. Tourism and Development in the Developing World offers a thorough overview of the tourism-development relationship. Focusing specifically on the less developed world and drawing on contemporary case studies, this updated second edition questions widely-held assumptions on the role of tourism in development and seeks to highlight the challenges faced by destinations seeking to achieve development through tourism. The introductory chapter establishes the foundation for the book, exploring the meaning and objectives of development, reviewing theoretical perspectives on the developmental process, and assessing the reasons why less developed countries are attracted to tourism as a development option. The concept of sustainable development, as the most widely adopted contemporary model of development, is then introduced and its links with tourism critically assessed. Subsequent chapters explore the key issues associated with tourism and development, including the rise of globalization; the tourism planning and development process; the relationship between tourism and communities within which it is developed; the management implications of trends in the demand for and uptake of tourism; and an analysis of the consequences of tourism development for destination environments, economies and societies. A new chapter considers the challenges of climate change, sustainability of resource supply (oil, water and food), global economic instability, political instability and changing demographics. Finally, the issues raised throughout the book are drawn together in a concluding chapter that assesses the tourism and development ‘dilemma’. Combining an overview of essential concepts, theories and knowledge with an analysis of contemporary issues and debates in tourism and development, this new edition will be an invaluable resource for those investigating tourism issues in developing countries. The book will be of interest to students of tourism, development, geography and area studies, international relations and politics, and sociology.

This text explores the role of tourism as a potential contibutor to socio-economic development in destination areas. Establishing a link between tourism studies and development studies, it considers what is meant by development, the processes through which development may be achieved and, in particular, a number of fundamental issues related to the use of tourism as a development agent. In so doing, it challenges conventional thinking about the relationship between tourism and development.

Exploring the importance of destination branding and destination marketing as well as their implications on sustainability in tourism, this book approaches the topic through the lens of destination image, taking into account the large influence of appearance on tourist attraction. With consideration to various stakeholders in sustainable tourism development, this book incorporates ideas for new techniques in destination branding and marketing in order to maximize economic impact. The book also discusses the rising influence of social media on tourists’ interest. Emphasizing sustainability in tourism development, the chapters address a number of important issues, such as post-disaster tourism marketing, culture and heritage tourism, eco-tourism, community-based nature tourism, community involvement in destination development, benchmarking for destination performance evaluation, sustainable food practices in tourism, and more. Each chapter of this book incorporates a quantifiable trend in tourism development, including various paradigms and studies that relay different statistics about certain areas of tourism. The book makes use of case studies for specific destinations and integrates strategies, evidence, and analyses to offer a holistic understanding of the myriad factors involved in sustainable tourism development.

The Business of Sustainable Tourism Development and Management provides a comprehensive introduction to sustainable tourism, crucially combining both theoretical and practical approaches to equip students with the tools to successfully manage a sustainable tourism business or destination. Covering a range of crucial topics such as mass tourism, alternative tourism, human capital management, and many more, this book incorporates a global curriculum that widens the sustainable tourism debate to include theoretical perspectives, applied research, best-practice frameworks, business tools, and case studies, facilitating a more comprehensive sustainable tourism educational strategy. Information on how to effectively implement strategies that can be applied to business environments, entrepreneurship, and job skills to enhance career preparation is at the forefront of this textbook. Highly illustrated and with an interactive companion website including bonus learning materials, this is the ideal textbook for students of tourism, hospitality, and events management at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Dealing with tourism in the developing world, this book provides a contemporary analysis of the potential for tourism to work as a strategy for development. Tourism continues to develop rapidly in the Third World, and with it an increasing awareness of the impacts and dilemmas faced by the destination countries. Tourism for Development analyses key theories and debates surrounding tourism development in a user friendly style aimed primarily at under graduate students following Geography and Tourism Studies/Management courses. The book focuses on the positive, highlighting tourism practices which may offer a way forward in terms of promoting appropriate development in the Third World. The book is another strong addition to the successful Themes in Tourism series and will be equally useful to both tourism and geography students in a range of topics, including Development Studies, Planning and Resource Management.

Describes over 40 major sustainability issues, ranging from the management of natural resources (waste, water, energy, etc.), to development control, satisfaction of tourists and host communities, preservation of cultural heritage, seasonality, economic leakages, or climate change. For each issue, indicators and measurement techniques are suggested with practical information sources and examples. Contains a procedure to develop destination-specific indicators, their use in tourism policy and planning processes, as well as applications in different destination types (e.g. coastal, urban, ecotourism, small communities). Numerous examples and 25 case studies provide a range of experiences at the company, destination, national and regional levels from all continents.

A collection of essays from scholars evaluating tourism as a means of simulating economic growth and fighting economic inequalities in poor countries. It takes a look at the successes and failures of tourism in this role, and considers why tourism as a catalyst for economic development can be a controversial device.

This book provides a holistic, explicit and detailed introduction to the relationship of poverty and tourism development within the context of developing countries. The book is divided into three distinct sections, progressing from an evaluation of the key concepts, the causal factors of poverty and how tourism is being implemented in policy and practice to reduce poverty, to the relationship of tourism and poverty in the future. The theoretical framework inherent to the text is inter-disciplinary, incorporating tourism, geography, politics, economics, environmental studies, development studies, sociology and history literature to provide the reader with a range of perspectives from which to explore the key issues of the tourism and poverty relationship. It integrates examples and original case studies from varying geographical developing regions including Latin American, Asia and Africa to show practical insights into tourism’s role in poverty alleviation. To encourage reflection on the main themes addressed and critical thinking, ‘Think points’, discussion questions and links to further reading are included in each chapter.