ABSTRACT
Technology now allows tourists to reach most parts of the world, yet only a small fraction of the world’s potential tourism resource is developed. Nonetheless, with a growing demand for tourism focused on a small resource base, tourist destinations are under pressure. In part this is because tourism does not occur evenly or randomly in time or space; but pressure is focused seasonally and at special and unique places. This demands the effective planning and management of tourism resources and in particular the matching of appropriate types of tourist to particular types of resource. Different types of tourism will have distinctive requirements for growth, and certain sites, regions or countries will be more favourable for development than others. This chapter examines tourism resources on three scales: global, national and local.
