ABSTRACT
The chapter examines tourism policy and planning for destinations that have endured long-term violence and instability. The discussion, however, positions post-conflict development against a wider context of a destination that has transitioned from pre-conflict through conflict to post-conflict, and the nature of tourism policy and planning at each of these stages. During the conflict era emphasis is focused on the potential for policy and planning to overcome vulnerability and provide resilience to the industry. Phoenix tourism is presented as part of a wider post-conflict stage where focus and attention is toward a unique product mix of dark and political tourism linked to the conflict era. Conceptual thinking around destination change and a model of post-conflict development suggest a possible trajectory of change for destinations that have gone through a long conflict era but which were once conflict free, involving the following stages: ‘early tourism development’, ‘product loss and industry resilience’, ‘recovery’ and finally, ‘growth and development’. This thinking is applied to the context of Northern Ireland and Sri Lanka.
