Tourism as a community industry—an ecological model of tourism development

Tourism can be a far-reaching agent of change, yet too often planning for the industry is based solely on isolated economic criteria. Here it is argued that tourism is essentially resource-based and by ignoring social and ecological implications the industry is in danger of undermining its very existence. For the industry and the destination community to benefit a mutually symbiotic relationship should be developed, a relationship modelled on an ecosystem framework.