Cevat Tosun

Limits to community participation in the tourism development process in Developing Countries.

Abstract This study deals with a normative concept of participatory development approach, which originates in the developed world. In particular, it analyses and explains the limitations to the participatory tourism development approach in the context of developing countries. It was found that there are operational, structural and cultural limits to community participation in the TDP in many developing countries although they do not equally exist in every tourist destination. Moreover, while these limits tend to exhibit higher intensity and greater persistence in the developing world than in the developed world, they appear to be a reflection of prevailing socio-political, economic and cultural structure in many developing countries. On the other hand, it was also found that although these limitations may vary over time according to types, scale and levels of tourism development, the market served, and cultural attributes of local communities, forms and scale of tourism developed are beyond the control of local communities. It concludes that formulating and implementing the participatory tourism development approach requires a total change in socio-political, legal, administrative and economic structure of many developing countries, for which hard political choices and logical decisions based on cumbersome social, economic and environmental trade-offs are sine qua non alongside deliberate help, collaboration and co-operation of major international donor agencies, NGOs, international tour operators and multinational companies.

Host perceptions of impacts: a comparative tourism study

Abstract This study investigates resident perceptions of tourism impacts on a Turkish town in absolute and relative terms and draws implications for marketing and destination management from the results. Personal interviews were conducted with household heads and results compared with Fijian and American case studies. Comparative figures suggest that the Turkish residents were generally less supportive of the tourism industry and had fewer positive perceptions of its impacts when compared to the other two cases. It is suggested that a participatory model be implemented to integrate tourism into the local development in the Turkish town.

Challenges of sustainable tourism development in the developing world: the case of Turkey

Abstract This article presents an analysis of the challenges to sustainable tourism development in developing countries with special references to Turkey as a part of the developing world. It was found that the factors that have emerged as challenges to sustainable tourism development related to priorities of national economic policy, the structure of public administration, an emergence of environmental issues, over commercialisation, and the structure of international tourism system. It concludes that although the principles of sustainable tourism development are beneficial, their implementation is an enormously difficult task to achieve and owing to the prevailing socio-economic and political conditions in the developing world. Hence, any operation of principles of sustainable tourism development necessitates hard political and economic choices, and decisions based upon complex socio-economic and environmental trade-offs. Moreover, it states that implementation of these hard decisions may not be possible unless international organisations encourage and collaborate with governments of developing countries to implement the principles of sustainable tourism development.

Roots of unsustainable tourism development at the local level: the case of Urgup in Turkey

Abstract The main aim of this article is to investigate and explain the roots of unsustainable tourism development at the local level in a developing country, with special reference to Urgup in the region of Cappadocia, Turkey. It was found that the factors that ushered in unsustainable tourism development are beyond the control of local people and authorities. They are largely related to issues at the national level such as the policy of political economy, prevailing national planning approaches applied to tourism, patron-client relationships between decision-makers and related business class alongside the role of international tour operators in the international tourism system. It concludes that achieving sustainable tourism development at the local level in a developing country requires hard political choices, a confident decision-making process and the collaboration of international tour operators and donor agencies.

The evolution of tourism planning in Third‐World countries: a critique

The trend in tourism development has been to use comprehensive, flexible, community driven and systematic planning approaches. These approaches seek to sustain tourism as an agent for socio-cultural and economic development. Contemporary planning approaches were developed by taking into account the socio-economic, political and human resources conditions in developed rather than in developing countries. Therefore, these planning approaches may not be transferable to and implementable in developing countries without considerable adaptations.

Tourism Growth, National Development and Regional Inequality in Turkey

The introduction of international tourism as an economic growth strategy in Turkey is relatively recent, and Turkey has experienced rapid tourism growth in terms of volume and value. Despite the significant progress in these respects, tourism has contributed little to development. Instead, it has increased the rate of economic growth at the expense of equality among regions and classes. This paper examines the impacts of intensive coastal tourism growth on the development of rural regions in particular and national development in general. It concludes that spatial concentrations of mass tourism investment induced by tourism incentive policies in relatively developed coastal regions have increased disparities among regions and classes.

Regional planning approaches to tourism development: the case of Turkey.

Abstract In developing countries, most, if not all, development of the tourism sector is a product of central planning. This approach has its limitations, particularly related to considerations of community involvement in the development process. This article discusses the case for a decentralized approach to tourism planning and examines the situation in Turkey to exemplify the points made.

Shortcomings in planning approaches to tourism development in developing countries: the case of Turkey

Many developing countries have prepared plans particularly at the central level to guide tourism development, as they have recognized the tourism sector as an important source of foreign currency earning and employment. In this context, mainly aims at analyzing the shortcomings of the planning approaches to tourism development in developing countries by exemplifying the points made with special references to Turkey. There appears to be several defects in the planning approaches to tourism development. Concludes that there is the need for political stability, establishing supportive institutions and decentralization to develop and implement an appropriate contemporary tourism planning approach by taking into account destination specific conditions, and collaboration and cooperation of western governments and international agencies.

Tourists' perceptions of the Canada-USA border as a barrier to tourism at the International Peace Garden.

Abstract This paper examines the role of international boundaries as perceived barriers to tourism. Borders that divide similar cultural groups and where few safety issues exist are the focus of this study. Qualitative data were gathered from visitors at the International Peace Garden on the USA–Canada boundary, and interviews were conducted with administrators and border officials to see whether or not this frontier is perceived to be a barrier to tourism and if so to understand the nature of its barrier functions. For most tourists, the Canada–USA border does not function as a major barrier to travel. However, for a small cohort it does, and the crossing formalities, border officials, and lack of information work together to create a subjective hindrance to travel at a place where good international relations otherwise exist.

Destination marketing: a framework for future research

Fyall, A., Garrod, B., Tosun, C. (2006). Destination marketing: a framework for future research. In: Progress in Tourism Marketing, Kozak, M., Andreu, L., (Eds). Part II, pp. 75-86.