ABSTRACT

Assumptions about how different types of tourism generate completely different impacts on the local economy are rife. These assumptions influence government policy about tourism marketing and development. But this review has found an extreme paucity of data in this critical area for policy makers. First, very little tourism analysis is actually disaggregated by type of tourist. Most analyses are either for some ‘average’ tourist, or are specific to just one product, such as tourists that use campsites, or safari lodges, or beach resorts. Second, there is even less analysis that makes comparisons between different segments across the tourist sector. Some reports contain scanty information on how expenditure patterns differ by type of tourist. Beyond that, the field is empty. There does not appear to have been any attempt to rigorously assess and compare the impact of different types of tourist in the same destination using the same evaluation methodology. This is remarkable given how many policy documents give clear policy preference to certain segments.