ABSTRACT
Tourism, as the largest growing industry, is usually promoted by a country for its ability to spread economic development and reduce inequalities in income distribution. It can generate sales and output, labor earnings and employment, exchange earnings, improvement of balance of payments, important infrastructure development that benefit locals and tourists alike and it can contribute to diversifying the economic base (Durbarry, 2004; Frechtling and Horvath, 1999; Glasson et al., 1995; Lankford and Howard, 1994; Narayan, 2004; Reid, 2003; Oh, 2005). Therefore, efforts to maximise the economic benefits derived from tourism in destination areas have focused on marketing and management strategies to increase the number of tourists, their length of stay and their overall expenditures.
