Technical Progress in Transport and the Tourism Area Life Cycle

Andrew Kato and James Mak ()
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James Mak: Department of Economics, University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization

No 2010-13, Working Papers from University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization, University of Hawaii at Manoa

Abstract: Richard Butler�s tourism area life cycle envisions tourism destinations to evolve in stages from exploration to rapid growth followed by slackening, stagnation, and even decline. The eventual slow-down in tourism growth is attributed to the destinations reaching their physical and social carrying capacities. This article examines the evolution of Hawaii as a tourism destination from 1922 to 2009. We demonstrate that tourism growth in Hawaii has declined but not because the destination has reached its carrying capacity but primarily because of the slowdown in technical progress in passenger air transportation and competition from newer destinations. We conclude that for destinations that depend on transportation improvements to attract tourists, technical progress in transport may provide a better explanation of the evolution of their destinations than their carrying capacities.

Keywords: Tourism Area Life Cycle; Transportation; Technical Progress (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L83 L93 O33 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 33 pages
Date: 2010-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-tur and nep-ure
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