development stage

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The development stage is characterised by rapid tourism growth and dramatic changes in all aspects of the tourism sector over a relatively short period of time. As with all other phases of the model, the change from one stage to another is usually marked by a transition rather than a sharp boundary. The actual rate and character of the growth will depend on the pull factors that prevail during the stage, and the attempts made in the destination to manage the process. In the Butler sequence, a rapid erosion in the level of local control is apparent as the community is overwhelmed by the shear scale of tourism development. As the area is rapidly integrated into the formal tourism system, larger non-local and transnational companies gain control o\er the process, attracting the midcentric and psychocentric consumers who happily arrange and facilitate their travel experiences (often one-week package tours) within these highly organised structures.

Spatially, the development stage is a time of rapid landscape change, as small hotels give way to large multistorey resorts, agricultural land is replaced by golf courses and theme parks, and mangroves are removed to make way for marinas. The 'sense of place' that was associated with the exploration and involvement stages gives way to a generic, 'international'-stvle landscape. Concentrated tourism districts form along coastlines, in alpine vallevs or in anv other area that is close to associated attractions or gateways. At this point the environmental stresses are widespread, and negative environmental responses may be apparent. The attitudes towards the visitors also experience a rapid transformation. In the early development stage, tourists become a normal part of the local routine, prompting reactions of apathv. However, as tourist numbers continue to mount, and as resultant pressures are placed on local carrying capacities, apathy may give way to the annoyance stage of Doxey's irridex. fending further investigation, Australian candidates for inclusion in the development stage include the Sunshine Coast, Cairns, New South Wales coastal resorts such as Port Macquarie, Coifs Harbour and Byron Bay, and the Western Australian resort of Broome. Non-coastal destinations that also appear to qualify1 include alpine resorts such as Thredbo, and 'boutique' towns such as Maleny, Mount Tamborine and Hahndorf that develop in the day-drive hinterland of large tourist or population concentrations such as the Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast or Adelaide, respectively. Globally, many development stage destinations occur within the pleasure periphery.