Tourism and development in Southeast Asia

This volume has discussed the important and ever-growing role of tourism as an engine for development in the region of Southeast Asia. While the contributions to the current volume varied in scope and geographical focus, overall they formed part of four major thematic streams: theoretical/methodological foundations, protected areas, local communities, and governance. Authors of this edited volume shared conceptual approaches and empirical evidence that accentuated the regional importance of tourism as a livelihood for people and an ever-growing engine for development in the future. However, at the same time, challenges were noted in all of the chapters – tourism might be contributing to development, but what kind of development, and can it really contribute to sustainable development for the Southeast Asian region? What is the future of tourism for development in the region?