摘要：Tourism promotion represents popular public policy
because of its focus on image improvement. After
all, what politician would criticize efforts to “boost”
the perception of one’s own state and advertise the
resources that draw attention, visitation, and positive
notoriety? Indeed, promoting tourism is a political nobrainer.
But, political convenience does not necessarily
convey long-term societal improvement. Does it
make good policy sense from the standpoint of rural
development? Are increased levels of tourism in the
best interest of communities affected by tourists? Are
the jobs created by tourism the types of jobs needed by
people in rural America? This paper argues that states
should move away from traditional “boosterism” approaches
that focus simply on stimulating tourism
demand toward more integrative planning frameworks
that focus on the real costs and benefits of tourism
growth.
