ABSTRACT
The pressure exerted by competition is compelling international, national, state, and local governments to re-evaluate, manage the existing tourism resources and to capitalize on them in order to reposition themselves to attract more visitors and also gain competitive advantage. The pressure exerted by competition is compelling international, national, state, and local governments to re-evaluate, manage the existing tourism resources and to capitalize on them in order to reposition themselves to attract more visitors and also gain competitive advantage. The theoretical basis and empirical research on assessing tourism potential for development and tourism attractiveness are derived from multiple disciplines and bodies of knowledge. The theoretical underpinning of this research is imbedded in the tourism system approach. The very nature of the production and consumption of tourism goods and services clearly implies that the functioning tourism system consists of an origin and a destination in its simplest form.
