Introduction

The intent of this chapter is to provide the reader with some understanding of the theory and principles of community development practice as it applies to tourism development. Further, it is intended to argue the importance of community control of tourism development given its invasive nature, particularly in rural communities.

This chapter first describes the notion of community. What constitutes community and community development (CD) is examined. The importance of taking a CD approach to tourism planning, particularly in rural communities, is discussed. Reaching the proper balance between individual freedom to act that encourages creativity, and the need for community control of the product is also examined.

Key Theoretical Concepts: Community; Community Development (CD); Tourism Planning

The Idea of Community

Community is often defined as a geographic concept or from a collective interest point of view. The idea of community is contested but simply put, Pedlar (1996: 9) defines community as, 'some sense of place, psychological involvement, social interaction, and feelings of connectedness'. Defining community has been an ongoing quest for theorists and scholars alike. According to Johnston et al. (2000), 'community is a social network of interacting individuals, usually concentrated into a defined territory'. Burr (1991) argues that there are four theoretical approaches to understanding community. These four approaches are: the human ecological approach, the social systems approach, the interaction approach and the critical approach. Pearce et al. (1996) discuss these approaches.

By taking an ecological approach, the focus is on the community living together and adapting to the setting, a process that produces distinctive community characteristics. The social systems approach emphasizes the roles and institutions that govern society; its focus is on the ordering of social relations and the primacy of group membership. An interactional approach can be seen as the sum of the regular social interactions of individuals.