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The Tourism Life Cycle in a Small New Zealand Town
How residents of a tourist destination quickly go from welcoming visitors to shunning them
The tourism industry, upon ‘discovering’ an emerging destination, has the capability of bringing numerous positive impacts to the area through benefits such as infrastructure investment, unprecedented commerce, and increased cultural awareness. Local residents of an emerging tourist area often greet these new visitors with open arms, and many pounce on the plethora of economic opportunities now available. (Beeton 2006:39) Although these perks may be quite appealing at first, however, they are often followed by multiple repercussions: issues such as overcrowdedness, pollution, and the development of undiversified economies as destinations become increasingly dependent on the industry. Accordingly, attitudes of residents can undergo dramatic shifts, potentially jeopardizing the endured viability of a destination’s tourism appeal. In order to proactively manage a destination region, it is therefore crucial to minimize factors that could potentially add to residents’ resentment. (Henderson 2007:73) Thus, analysing destinations with tools such as Doxey’s Index of Resident Irritation (Doxey’s Irridex) and Butler’s Tourism Area Life Cycle (Butler’s Cycle) enables managers to measure resentment amongst residents, as…
