Title: The role of clusters in preventing tourism decline: a conceptual and empirical examination

Authors: George Lafferty, Anthony Van Fossen

Addresses: Victoria Management School, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand. ' Griffith Asia Pacific Research Institute and School of Arts, Media and Culture, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Abstract: In this paper we investigate a perennial issue in tourism policy, planning and research: how mature destinations can deal with the problem of stagnation and potential decline. The paper first examines the most influential model of tourism development: the tourist area life cycle model, indicating some of its strengths and limitations. We then discuss Michael Porter|s concept of clusters, in order to assess how it might assist tourism policy-makers and planners to prevent tourism decline. We go on to compare the formation of tourism clusters in the two most important ||sun and surf|| destinations in the Oceanic tourism market – Queensland and Hawaii. The paper concludes by illustrating strategies for achieving effective tourism clusters and the prevention of decline in mature destinations.

Keywords: tourism decline; mature destinations; tourist area life cycle model; tourism clusters; Queensland; Hawaii; tourism policy; tourism planning; stagnation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTM.2005.006695

International Journal of Services Technology and Management, 2005 Vol.6 No.2, pp.142 - 152

Published online: 01 Apr 2005 *

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