Conclusion: Tourism and Development - Tourism and Development: Concepts and Issues - page 464

Tourism operates in an increasing complex and connected world. Chapter
14 argues that the tourism development process could be better informed by
an examination through the lens of international studies. The chapter begins
with an overview of global issues and risks (economic, environmental, geo-
political, societal and technological) that can limit the role of tourism in the
development process. These events often quickly go through the issue-
attention cycle, which rapidly cycles news out of the front pages; however
these issues can have long-term impacts. The chapter argues that to better
understand these events, various theories associated with international stud-
ies such as realism, liberalism, cosmopolitanism, Marxism, social construc-
tivism, post-structuralism, post-colonialism, feminism and globalisation can
be utilised to examine the challenges to tourism development. Combining
the perspectives of history, geography, anthropology, economics, politics and
others, to take an interdisciplinary approach, along with the various theories
of international studies, one can take a global issue or threat and better
understand the implications this event can have on tourism. It highlights
that tourism should not be studied in isolation but with a greater knowledge
of the background of the destination and the actors involved. Key questions
include how do global events impact tourism ? What insights do theories of
international studies offer to understanding the impact of global events on
tourism ? What background information should a tourism investor have
before making investment decisions in a destination ? How do global issues
impact the locals in the tourism destination ?
The concept of sustainable tourism is further put under the microscope
in Chapter 15 and it is argued that although it has become one of the domi-
nant tourism paradigms, it can also be seen as a barrier to development. The
concept of sustainable development has been covered in many of the chapters
in this topic in terms of empowerment, economic development, backward
economic linkages, small-scale development and environmental protection. It
is argued that while there is widespread support for the aims and principles
for sustainable tourism development, it remains a contested notion, as does
its parental paradigm: sustainable development. It is argued that tourism does
not fit within a sustainable development template. Sustainable tourism devel-
opment has evolved into a prescriptive and restrictive set of guidelines for
tourism development. While it offers environmentally appropriate and ethi-
cally sound principles for optimising the role of tourism, it draws attention
away from the potential benefits of other forms of tourism and other develop-
ment agents. It is argued that large-scale tourism can also contribute to socio-
economic development in a destination and it is not necessarily a bad form of
tourism development. The chapter offers a Destination Capitals Model of
tourism development as a way forward, as sustainable tourism is not a uni-
versally appropriate vehicle for development. This raises questions regarding
the nature of tourism development and what form and function it should take
in different country contexts. Should Western development concepts be