Tourism, Modernisation and Development on the Island of Cyprus: Challenges and Policy Responses

Abstract

The role of tourism as an agent of development in small island states is virtually universal. Indeed, for many islands, tourism is the principal source of employment and foreign exchange earnings and the dominant economic sector. Nevertheless, many commentators suggest that island tourism is characterised by dependency, a condition which, according to development theory, restricts development. As a result, sustainable tourism development is widely seen as a solution to the problem of island tourism. This paper, however, argues that this is not necessarily the case. Based on a case study of Cyprus, it demonstrates that, despite its inherent dependency, tourism has proved to be an effective vehicle of development. Moreover, it is the development of mass tourism as a modernising growth pole that has contributed to the remarkable socioeconomic development of the island since the mid-1970s. Therefore, it suggests that, far from being a solution, the current policy for promoting sustainable or 'quality' tourism is not only inappropriate but may actually hinder the further development of Cyprus.