Stages in the emergence of a participatory tourism development approach in the Developing World

This study has attempted to examine and explain the stages in the emergence of the participatory tourism development approach under prevailing socio-economic, cultural and political conditions in developing countries without ignoring rural, peripheral areas of the developed world. It identifies three stages. These are: (1) the emergence of the pressures from external and internal factors on the central government to accept, support and facilitate the implementation of a participatory development approach, (2) the emergence of political will at central level, and (3) enacting legal measurements, re-structuring administrative systems at operational level and the actual community consultation or participation process. These stages are explored and elaborated under the guidance of three propositions. It concludes that political will at central level, enacting relevant legal measurements, empowering local communities and cooperation of dominant elite groups are sine qua non for the emergence and operationalization of the participatory tourism development approach as a pro-active tourism development strategy in a given developing country. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.