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Figure 15.5
A destination capitals model of tourism development
providing the basis of the 'internal audit' of the destination (Figure 15.5). To
a great extent, this model is self-explanatory. It depicts a logical process of
need identification followed by an analysis of destination resources or capi-
tals which, when related to market opportunities and external forces or
restrictions, provides a basis for developing tourism development plans and
processes. Central to the process is the identification and inter-relationship of
destination capitals. This establishes what resources or assets should be
exploited for tourism, the extent to which they might generate a flow of
benefits to the destination and, through the analysis of political capital in
particular, who has access to and control over the use of these capitals. It is
also significant in that, when compared with other models and concepts of
tourism development, it focuses the responsibility for resource or asset use on
the destination. It is the destination that establishes, within the parameters
of local knowledge, custom and culture, how resources, whether environ-
mental, human or socio-cultural are utilised. As a consequence, sustainabil-
ity, as defined by the destination, is inherent within the destination capital
process as opposed to being an externally imposed ideological concept.
Inevitably, this raises the question as to who is responsible for assessing
destination capitals or for the process through which decisions are made
with respect to resource use for tourism development. In other words, 'the
destination' has been referred to here largely in abstract terms, but the desti-
nation capitals approach requires appropriate decision-making processes.
Typically, the answer lies in the prevailing political systems, institutional
structures and patterns of political capital in the destination, both generally
and in relation to tourism in particular. In some instances, open democratic
processes may be in evidence; in others, political capital and, to a great
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