ABSTRACT
Globalisation, measured in terms of international business activity, reached levels in the late 1980s never recorded before (Helleiner 1990) and it accelerated at an increasing rate throughout the 1990s. Tourism is a significant part of this activity as multinational businesses become more common around the world. However, as in tourism movements, much of the globalisation activity is found in the developed world. Much of the developing world, especially outside capitals or business centres, does not yet have the multinational presence one encounters throughout the developed world. This is true for much of Africa. Therefore what one encounters in Africa is for the most part locally owned and managed. While this is a position many tourism scholars view as ideal, the causes for this situation reveal some deeper development problems. These problems, some of which are presented below, lead to a situation where local people are unable to manage growth. In the long run what appeared to be a promising tourism development start may lead to an unsustainable and unsatisfactory situation.
