Less developed countries and tourism: the overall pattern.

Abstract

The processes by which many Less Developed Countries (LDCs) have been brought into the tourist system are described. It is argued that the degree to which individual destinations have been brought into the system depends on the existing economic situation there. The poorest LDCs are still not part of the mainstream industry, while the more accessible, and hence economic prosperous LDCs are the ones which have received the largest number of visitors. This process of globalization is presented as a framework for the remainder of the book.