The effect of tourism activity in developing countries has been a hotly debated topic for a number of decades. Opinions have fluctuated between the extremes of tourism as the catalyst for socio-economic development and tourism as the basis for neo-colonial exploitation and environmental and cultural decline. The contributions to this timely volume provide a balanced overview of these various perspectives. Key papers that are theoretical, conceptual and empirical, drawn from the literature in the fields of tourism, economics and development studies are contained in this authoritative volume. While the central focus is the economic aspect of the relationship between tourism and development, contributions on spatial, socio-cultural and environmental issues reflect the multidisciplinary nature of the selections.

This book will appeal to policymakers, researchers and tourism practitioners in both developed and developing countries.