ABSTRACT
As tourism becomes increasingly important to communities around the world, the need to develop tourism sustainably also becomes a primary concern. Human communities represent both a primary resource upon which tourism depends, and their existence in a particular place at a particular time may be used to justify the development of tourism itself. Communities are a basic reason for tourists to travel, to experience the way of life and material products of different communities. Communities also shape the ‘natural’ landscapes which many tourists consume. Communities are, of course, also the source of tourists; tourists are drawn from particular places and social contexts which in themselves will help shape the context of the tourist’s experience in the host community.
