Managing Tourism Growth: Issues and Applications

Abstract

Review: Managing Tourism Growth: Issues and Applications By Fred P. Bosselman, Craig A. Peterson and Claire McCarthy Reviewed by Kenneth Carriveau Baylor University, USA Bosselman, Fred P., Craig A. Peterson, & Claire McCarthy. Managing Tourism Growth: Issues and Applications. Washington, DC: Island Press, 1999. 304 pp. ISBN 1-55963-605-X (softcover). US$40.00 Recycled, acid-free paper Managing Tourism Growth is a valuable resource for those concerned with the tourism industry. Bosselman and friends use their many years of experience and legal expertise in land use and development issues to give a general guide for developing successful and sustainable tourism programs within an economic market. Readers should note well that this is not a ‘how- to’ text with clear, step-by-step instructions, but rather an analytical discussion of the methods, components, and techniques that characterize effective tourism management strategies. The first three chapters are the backbone of the volume and comprise the ‘issues’ component of the text. Bosselman begins with a general snapshot of the types of risks and benefits often encountered while developing tourism programs. The brief discussion looks at the impact tourism has on the economic, social, and cultural status of the travel destination. Excerpts from six case studies presented later in the text are used to highlight examples of poor tourism planning and management. The second chapter is the most substantial of the ‘issues’ chapters and focuses on tourism growth planning. The authors discuss four management objectives and six developmental conditions, all derived from common-pool resources management research done in the last twenty years, research the authors deem essential to the creation of an effective and successful strategic plan. Readers will not be surprised that most of the discussion centers around the ‘fair use’, ‘sustainability’, and ‘adaptability’ themes found in most development texts published over the last few years. Surprisingly, though, Bosselman and his colleagues insist that the local community, the tourist, and the state/national government all share in the responsibility and accountability, although not necessarily in equal measure, for the development, management, and continued success of any tourism development program. Balanced effort and equitable involvement are the key ingredients to Bosselman’s scheme to planning. In chapter three, the authors take the process to the next logical step and discuss the factors and conditions that must be considered once the