Tourism development: Still in search of a more equitable mode of local involvement

The meaning of tourism development, from the host community's point of view, has rarely been subject to critical analysis. This paper examines the concept of ‘development’ within the context of the Malaysian host community with a focus on the distributive aspects of growth. Observations from four situations suggest that benefits from tourism development have tended to by-pass ordinary members of the local community in favour of entrepreneurs who come from outside. In order to encourage a greater level of involvement among the locals it is recommended that a suitable action plan be implemented to ensure a more equitable measure of resident participation.