Tourism Destination Management the Title

¶ … Tourism Destination Management

The title of the article is "The sustainability of island destinations: Tourism area life cycle and teleological perspectives. The case of Tenerife" and its authors are Juan Ramon Oreja Rodriguez, Eduardo Parra-Lopez and Vanessa Yanes-Estevez. The three authors are professors of Economic Science at the Laguna University in the Canary Islands which positively contributes to the background of the article in question.

The aim of the article is to formulate a conceptual framework for the promoting of sustainability of island tourism. Also, the article uses the life cycle paradigm to project the evolution of this particular kind of tourism. The research is based on a theoretical standpoint previously explored when writing about island tourism. The life cycle model formulated by Butler in 1980 and revised in 2000 is a descriptive model which offers the possibility of long-term planning that is crucial to tourism in general. Nevertheless, because a descriptive model is somewhat limiting, the authors also utilize the Teleological model, an endeavor which clarifies multiple aspects and definitely offers a wider perspective on island tourism.

Butler's 1980 life cycle model was based on the hypothesis that destinations pass through six stages, i.e. Exploration, Involvement, Development, Consolidation, Stagnation, Decline and Rejuvenation, each carrying its specific characteristics. Since it proved incomplete in the sense that it did not fully manage to explain "growth, change, limits and intervention" (Oreja Rodriguez et al.: 2) in a tourist destination, the model was 'updated' by incorporating eight elements: dynamism, process, capacity or limits to growth, triggers, management, long-term viewpoint, spatial components and universal applicability. These eight elements have turned it into a universally applicable model of analysis of tourist areas.

The teleological model relies on the theoretical hypothesis that the evolution of a tourist destination is dependent on a number of variables which influence internal development which in turn, determines general development in a certain tourist area. These variables are "institutional decision making, objectives, strategic planning and social construction" (Oreja Rodriguez et al.: 2).

Having stated and explained the theoretical approach underlying the article, the reader is introduced to the case study in question, i.e. Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Tenerife is the largest island of the archipelago located in the Atlantic Ocean, and at the same time, the center of the Canary Islands which in fact, represent and autonomous region within the Spanish state. The authors argue that Tenerife has reached maturity and is now naturally progressing towards sustainability as a means of moving past the state of stagnation it has encountered. From the teleological perspective, sustainability results from two well-defined considerations, i.e. tourism restructuring and specific prioritization.

The conclusions of the authors reveal that indeed, the initial assumption that only one theoretical model could not explain the complex issue of sustainability. Moreover, the authors conclude that sustainability has to incorporate measures for the conservation of the environment which must, in turn, incorporate a legal regulatory framework which cannot be accomplished unless consensus is reached on the part of all the involved parties. In fact, this could not take place in the case of the Canary Islands positive steps have been taken, such as in the case of law 19/2003 passed by the Government of the Islands.

Strengths

The paper on the Canary Islands and more precisely on Tenerife offers an original contribution to the theoretical literature regarding the steps towards sustainability in the case of island tourist destinations. By trying to explain the causes of present tourism stagnation on the island, the article manages to identify and clearly formulate the reasons behind this stagnation - tourist activity issues, excess of supply, imbalances in demand etc. The two theoretical standpoints are also clear and well-formulated from the beginning (Fig.1: 3) so that the logic of the arguments put forward is both solid and always present.

The conclusions put forward the idea that there have been theories that due to excessive construction, the resources of the island might soon be exhausted. As the authors show, for a long period of time in the history of tourism in Tenerife, development and growth were based on Butler's model which meant that they relied on improving infrastructure and facilities on the island. Although these plans for development on the island clearly stated the limits of the growth, successive stages of construction and consolidation generated fear of resource exhaustion and resulted in serious damage to the coast as well as different kinds of pollution due to excessive urban building development. Also, another interesting point the authors make is related to the disappearance of traditional architecture on the island which was replaced with economically beneficial buildings that did not focus on preserving traditions.