ABSTRACT
The leisure industry has become a prominent economic sector in the Western world. More discretionary income and more free time have created the foundation for a new lifestyle in our society where recreation and tourism make up major elements of daily behaviour. In many regions and countries, tourism is regarded as one of the major growth vehicles. Despite crowding effects and many other negative externalities, it seems plausible to assume that tourism (and recreation) will remain an important growth industry. Along with the increasing economic importance of the tourist sector, we also witness increasing competition on the tourist market. Such competition has to seek a balance between short-term revenues at the cost of long-term sustainable development and long-term balanced growth strategies which seek to reconcile local interests with tourism objectives. In practice, we observe that different tourist destinations try to exploit their indigenous potential. This requires a well-tuned marketing strategy in order to get the right tourist with the right goals at the right place (see Coccossis and Nijkamp, 1995). In this context, Buhalis and Fletcher (1992, p. 10) quote Goodall who claimed that: 'the demand of increasing numbers of tourists is satisfied in a manner which continues to attract them whilst meeting the needs of the host population with improved standards of living, yet safeguarding the destination environment and cultural heritage'.
