Guidelines for Socially Appropriate Tourism Development in British Columbia

The economic benefits traditionally associated with tourism development are now being measured against its potential for social disruption. Increasingly there are examples of tourist-resident tension and conflict resulting from the imposition of visitor facilities, and especially attitudes and values, on the host culture. This article is based on the premise that there is a limit, in any community, to resident tolerance to tourism: this is defined as community carrying capacity for tourism. To investigate this hypothesis, an exploratory study was undertaken in two British Columbia communities characterized by very different social conditions. The conclusions of this study were used to describe paradigms of socially appropriate tourism development. Finally, guidelines were developed for future British Columbia tourism planning that will respect resident needs and priorities while maintaining the quality of the tourism experience.