ABSTRACT
The intention of this paper is to place the study of tourism firmly within the dialogue on underdevelopment. It is important to investigate why it is that tourism, while bringing undoubted benefits to many poor countries, frequendy also perpetuates already existing inequalities, economic problems and social tensions. This task requires an understanding of the underlying mechanisms, inherent in the tourist industry and Third World economies, that make the promotion of tourism a highly ambiguous development strategy. To construct a framework for investigating the articulation of international tourism with Third World tourist destinations, two sets of factors need to be considered. The first consideration is an analysis of the organisation and commercial structw:e of the tourist industry, particularly the power and dominance of certain activity components and ownership groups. The second consideration is that to understand how the industry manifests itself, and who benefits from tourism development, account should be taken of the organisation of economic and political power within Third World countries. This requires an appreciation of the historical forces that are responsible for the common characteristics of these economies.
