ABSTRACT
Tourism is generally considered a panacea for development. To some it is a painless therapy for many socio-economic ills, especially of economically depressed regions, bereft of other development options. Thus fragile and beautiful mountain environments, coastal heritages, tropical forests, wetlands and far-flung snow regions of Arctic and Antarctica have also embraced tourism as the best economic opportunity. Mass tourism development is a phenomenon that has been linked with negative environmental impacts. It is a 'growth-centred' rather than a 'people-centred' activity. Impacts on environments, economy, culture and physical environment are moderate and the development of tourism is 'organic' and harmonious. The Product Life Cycle model may be helpful in resource management in its evolutionary stages to stakeholders in sustaining products' longevity. Models of development presented by scholars and practitioners are often more growth- centred than human-centred. Authentic development has to be based on justice, equity, sustainability and inclusiveness.
