BEYOND GROWTH: Reaching Tourism-Led Development

Many communities around the world seek tourism to improve their livelihoods. The changes brought by tourism are often reflected in economic and infrastructural growth. Nevertheless, such growth does not always reflect development goals. Framed around interactional theory, this study intends to open the “black box” of community relations by examining the causal factors, processes, and outcomes associated with tourism-led development. A case study methodology was applied in two amenity-rich Costa Rican communities known to present divergent growth and development outcomes after their incursion in tourism. The study findings suggest the critical relevance of open communication, widespread participation, tolerance, and communion among residents and different tourism-related stakeholders for the promotion of processes leading to tourism-led development.