This work studies tropical island resorts, the people who live and work there and the tourists who visit them. The author includes, but goes beyond the more commonly encountered marketing and economic analyses of resort destinations, by examining social, cultural, mythical, environmental, organizational and political dimensions.

This work studies tropical island resorts, the people who live and work there and the tourists who visit them. The author includes, but goes beyond the more commonly encountered marketing and economic analyses of resort destinations, by examining social, cultural, mythical, environmental, organizational and political dimensions.

In his memoir Creating Hawai'i Tourism, Robert C. Allen, a leader in the tourism-related ground transportation, airline, hotel, and cruise industries, describes the events and people that transformed Hawai'i from a small resort into a world-class tourist mecca. Allen includes them all: the hotels, airlines, travel agents, beachboys, musicians, and, most important, the builders, the men and women who propelled Hawai'i to the forefront of the visitor industry.

The vast majority of existing academic research of coastal tourism resort management has been undertaken in northern and southern Europe at the expense of a wider global consideration. This book aims to address this deficit and develop a global perspective on the management issues facing coastal resorts. By drawing on examples, it incorporates a detailed analysis of a range of economic, socio-cultural, political and environmental issues which are being experienced, to differing extents, by coastal tourism resorts which are at different life-cycle stages of development. The major management themes highlighted include the processes of restructuring, attempts to develop sustainable agendas and environmental issues of developing resorts in sensitive areas. Written by key experts, this book provides a critical assessment of the key management issues facing coastal tourism resorts globally. In doing so, it represents more than a mere amalgamation of existing literature as it aims to advance conceptual understanding of resort evolution and change.

The Caribbean has the fortune—and the misfortune̬to be everyone's idea of a tropical paradise. Its sun, sand and scenery attract millions of visitors each year and make it a profitable destination for the world's fastest growing industry. Tourism is increasingly touted as its only hope of creating jobs and wealth—literally, the island's last resort. Last Resorts examines the real impact of tourism on the people and landscape of the Caribbean. It explores the structure of ownership of the industry and shows that the benefits it brings to the region do not live up to its claims. New developments in ecotourism, sex tourism, and the burgeoning cruise industry are not changing this pattern of short-term exploitation of the region's resources. The book shows how Caribbean societies are corrupted by tourism and its culture turned into floorshow parody. This new edition has been extensively revised and updated. It gives voice to people inside the tourism industry, its critics, and tourists themselves, and offers vital insights into a phenomenon that is central to the globalized world of today.

How can owners and managers ensure that their considerable capital investments will return a competitive return on their investments? How can users and owners be sure they enjoy the promises of tantalizing marketing and real estate claims? Managing Sustainable Resorts Profitably combines business management principles with environmental and social concerns to offer development solutions to these questions. By taking an holistic and contemporary approach to the problem of developing sustainable tourism operations, this book provides a comprehensive assessment of the strategies that need to be considered by various governments, developers and, in particular, the customer-investor. The major features of resort development covered by this book include: • Environmental scanning of principal external and internal influential factors • The curse and blessings of seasonality • Competition for people’s recreation and retirement dollars • Guest activity programming • Environmental issues • Cruise ships as mobile resorts • Staffing issues in isolated areas • Financial challenges for owners and operators alike • Risk Management • Mutually beneficial options for various stakeholders Based on an analysis of global resort opportunities and trends, the book focuses on those generic features that differentiate regional resort management from urban-centric management needs and priorities. Using comparative case studies the author emphases best case/benchmark examples of a range of resorts – large and small, urban and rural - to illustrate what can be achieved.

"This book is a thorough overview of the key components, functions and actions that shape the physical appearance, operations, market appeal and ultimate success of a tourist destination. The book examines these issues with a specific emphasis on future sustainability in its broadest sense, in a rapidly changing world where the future will be redefined in ways that are not yet obvious but which must be speculated on and planned for." --Book Jacket.