ABSTRACT
Amongst the many impacts that tourism may exert upon host areas, the processes of physical and economic development are perhaps the most conspicuous. These effects may be evident in the physical development of tourism infrastructure (accommodation, retailing, entertainment, attractions, transportation services, etc.); the associated creation of employment within the tourism industry; and, less visibly, a range of potential impacts upon GDP, balances of trade and the capacities of national or regional economies to attract inward investment. For developing regions in particular, the apparent capacity for tourism to create considerable wealth from resources that are often naturally and freely available has proven understandably attractive, but the risks associated with over-development and dependence upon an activity that can be characteristically unstable are negative dimensions that should not be overlooked. There are benefits, but there are also costs attached to the physical and economic development of tourism.
