Complexities of tourism development - Viewpoints of development practitioner

The sustainable development approach to tourism is based on the idea that the majority of the resources upon which the industry depends are regional and local in nature. Thus, recent approaches to tourism development put local communities at the centre of the development process, using approaches such as participation and consultation to develop regions, clusters and sectors linkages within and between them. At the heart of the process there is an emphasis on self-sufficiency and local control over change with the declared aim of enhancing “positive externalities” for the actors involved. Although, viability of tourism development projects has been questioned if not linked to mainstream industry, with market forces and government allocations determining where the costs and benefits of tourism are directed. Given the asymmetries in the sector, communities need power and resourceful allies to make tourism a real development opportunity, and this is rather a complex task.