Resortdevspectrum Goldcoast

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Tourism Geographies: An International Journal of Tourism Space, Place and Environment

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The Resort Development Spectrum: The Case of The Gold Coast, Australia
BRUCE PRIDEAUX
a
School ofTourism and Leisure Management, University of Queensland, Australia
Version of record first published: 04 Jun 2010.
To cite this article: BRUCE PRIDEAUX (2004): The Resort Development Spectrum: The Case of The Gold Coast, Australia, Tourism Geographies: An International Journal of Tourism Space, Place and Environment, 6:1, 26-58 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14616680320001722328
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Tourism Geographies, Vol. 6, No. 1, 2658, February 2004
The Resort Development Spectrum: The Case of The Gold Coast, Australia
BRUCE PRIDEAUX
School of Tourism and Leisure Management, University of Queensland, Australia
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Downloaded by [ ] at 17:50 16 September 2012
ABSTRACT The growth paths of resorts has been an enduring topic of tourism research for over sixty years yet the ability to operationalize models currently put forward to explain the process has not been satisfactorily demonstrated. The Resort Development Spectrum discussed in this paper is a candidate for providing a model that does possesses an ability to be used as a planning tool in the forecasting of the likely pattern of resort development into the future. The model is multidimensional and based on an understanding of the demand-side response to the market that operates in resorts and incorporates elements of Fordist, postFordist interpretation of production and demand. The model is tested by using it to explain the last 130 years of development on the Gold Coast, Queensland. The model is found to satisfactorily explain the growth path of tourism development on the Gold Coast.
KEY WORDS: Resort Development Spectrum, Gold Coast, resort, destination, growth, post-Fordism
Introduction The factors and processes inuencing the development of resorts have been an enduring topic of research, debate and discussion in the tourism literature and the issue continues to be one of the more popular topics for research. A number of typologies (Plog 1973; Peck and Lepie 1977; Soanne 1993) and models (Gilbert 1939; Lavery 1974; Miossec 1976; Young 1983; Keller 1987; Smith 1992; Kermath and Thomas 1992; Burton 1994; Russell and Faulkner 1998; Weaver 2000) have been proposed to explain the processes of growth, but only the Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC) proposed by Butler (1980) has been extensively tested in the literature. The paradox
Correspondence Address: Bruce Prideaux, School of Business, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia. Fax: +61 900 74044080; Tel.: +61 (0)740421039; Email: Bruce.Prideaux@jcu.edu.au
........................................................................................................................................................... 14616688 print/1470-1340 Online /04/01002633 2004 Taylor & Francis Ltd DOI: 10.1080/14616680320001722328
Place: The Resort Development Spectrum
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for researchers in this eld of research is that while Butlers model has been extensively tested (for example, see Oglethorpe 1984; Wilkerson 1987; Strapp 1988; Cooper and Jackson 1989; Morgan 1991; Choy 1992; Getz 1992; Weaver 1993; Williams 1993; Bianchi 1994; Harrison 1995; Digance 1997; Tooman 1997; Johnson 2001a; 2001b) rened, modied, extended and updated, its ability to be successfully employed as a predictive tool continues to elude researchers. Essentially a one-dimensional model, the Tourism Area Cycle of Evolution relies on post ante observation to measure resort development. Further, the model describes resort/destination development that is essentially Fordist in nature and characterized by mass consumption, particularly during the consolidation stage. Post-Fordist consumption, where tourism is characterized by non-mass forms of consumption (Urry 1990; 1995), is only hinted at in the type of developments that may take place in the nal stagnation, rejuvenation or decline stage. If society is moving into a postFordist tourism system, the capability of the TALC to describe future growth must become increasingly doubtful. As recently as 2000, Weaver (p. 217) observed that few if any investigations either categorically accept or reject Butlers model. One year later, Johnson (2001a: 3) noted that Within the contemporary research community, however, there is little consensus about the models usefulness. Cooper (1992: 156) observed that the life cycle has much to offer researchers but rather less to offer to tourism practitioners, echoing an earlier comment by Haywood (1986) who stated that while the model explains the process of growth it cannot be operationalized. Given the intensity of research into resort and destination development, it is surprising that so little attention has been given to testing the many other models and typologies that have been offered as explanations for resort and destination development. Over sixty years has passed since Gilberts (1939) model commenced the debate on the causes of resort development; however, the debate continues to attract considerable attention, with two research tends becoming apparent. While considerable attention continues to be given to modication and adaptation of Butlers TALC model, a few researchers have suggested new models. This is a healthy trend for the tourism literature and echoes the patterns of research that are common in the physical sciences, where the old paradigms are continually tested, modied and, if necessary, discarded as new knowledge becomes available. To cite just one recent example from cosmology (the study of the theory of the universe), the widely accepted theory of cosmic ination used to explain the rapid expansion of the universe after the initial Big Bang has been challenged recently by a group of theorists based on a reinterpretation of string theory. Even Stephen Hawking, the most acclaimed contemporary theorist in this eld has stated Even if ination works, it wont tell us why the Universe is as it is (cited in Davis 2003: 23). Clearly, if science is open to new ideas about
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fundamental theories, it is essential for disciplines such as tourism to follow this lead. Ideally, new models should examine a range of variables that include, but are not limited to, the operation of the resort micro-economy, promotional activities, competition, distribution strategies, issues of sustainability and capacity, government policy, changing patterns of consumer demand, changing systems of production (including those characterized by postFordist and post-modernist interpretations of industrial society and consumption), new technologies and the contributions made by entrepreneurs. Approaches of this type require a multi-dimensional interpretation of data and trends. Many of the existing models employ a single dimensional approach that has inhibited inquiry; however, refocusing these models to include new perspectives may strengthen them, generating new applications and insights. One signicant aspect of resort development that has been largely ignored is the role of the market as the arbiter of economic activity within the resort micro-economy. In an attempt to incorporate this element into the discussion of the factors that underlie resort and destination growth, the Resort Development Spectrum (RDS), rst published as a referred conference paper in 1998 (Prideaux 1998; 2000a), was developed to illustrate the relationship between growth and the operation of the economic market in the context of demand, supply and equilibrium within the context of the resorts microeconomy and market sectors. This paper will employ a rened version of the RDS to analyse development of the Gold Coast, Australia from a small coastal resort into a large international resort destination. At this point in the discussion it should be noted that the RDS was developed from observation, deduction, analysis and testing using economic and marketing theory. It was not developed as a derivative of or alternative to other models, although the shape of the curve and the growth phases identied show similarities to other models. This latter characteristic is to be expected as the curve shown in Figure 1 is based on historical patterns of visitor growth by visitor segment based on the historic growth of domestic tourism in developed counties. Figure 2 illustrates the economic forces at work, while Table 1 illustrates changes in infrastructure as growth occurs. Together, Figures 1 and 2 and Table 1 show many of the elements that simultaneously occur during growth and illustrate the multi-dimensional nature of that growth. Before proceeding with this discussion it is prudent to consider briey the issue of denition of resorts and destinations. No common agreement has or is likely to emerge on a denition of resorts because of the diverse use of the term. In one sense the term resort may denote any visitor centre to which people resort to in large numbers. Thus, in a macro sense resort refers to a specic holiday locality, such as Bournemouth in the UK, whereas in a narrower micro sense the term may be used to describe a specic hotel property. However, there is more agreement on the functions of resorts: they
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Figure 1. The Resort Development Spectrum. Source: Prideaux (2000a).
Figure 2. Growth path caused by shifts in equilibrium points. Source: Prideaux (1998).
provide leisure services for short-term visitors; they are designated areas set aside for human consumption; and offer a variety of touristic attractions and commercial accommodation. To undertake these functions resorts offer a range of accommodation, leisure, recreation, shopping, entertainment and transport facilities specially designed to attract tourists. As a consequence, the resort economy is heavily dependent on transactions where tourists are one of the parties. The RDS uses the term resort but this can also apply to non-national-scale destinations. The need to identify the underlying mechanisms of resort growth is obvious and will become even more signicant as the volume of international tourists continues to increase into the future. Understanding these mechanisms will achieve a number of objectives including: early identication of the resources
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Table 1. Changes in resort infrastructure over time

Major characteristics Tourist types Phase One Local tourism Locals People from nearby towns Phase Two Regional tourism As Phase One plus: Tourists travelling from areas within the state or region Possibly limited interstate tourist trafc passing through en route to a larger resort Unit and apartment development occurs Two- and three-star resort motels appear Phase Three National tourism As Phase Two plus: Tourist who travel long distances from all parts of the nation State capital cities become primary markets Phase Four International tourism As Phase Three plus: Emphasis on international tourism
Accommodation
Beach houses Caravan parks
Three- and four-star hotels Integrated resorts
International hotel chains establish resort hotels Numerous ve-star hotels which may incorporate golf courses, casinos and stage shows
Licensed hotels (not resorts)
Caravan parks still important
Internationally known hotel chains commence hotel development, i.e. Hilton, Ramada
Inexpensive motels Backpackers hostels Local area and surrounding towns Undertaken by local progress and/or tourist associations
Outside investment begins in hotels State wide May attract government funds Establish professionally staffed promotion body Joint campaigns with state and local government and local businesses Very professional approach May attract signicant government funds
Marketing
Table 1. Continued
Major characteristics Phase One Local tourism Limited funds Phase Two Regional tourism Businesses operating in the resort advertise on an individual basis Increasing professionalism of advertising campaigns Phase Three National tourism Hotels and major attractions fund signicant campaigns in national media Phase Four International tourism Corporate advertising very signicant
Limited professionalism Emphasis on selling not marketing Attractions (major Limited to beach and attractions are either natural nearby areas of scenic or built) beauty, such as National Parks
Well developed marketing strategy
First man-made attractions built, generally on a small scale
Large theme parks or similar attractions will be constructed. These attractions will feature active rather than passive participation
The focus of attention will shift from the beach to nonbeach activities, such as theme parks and up-market shopping
Transport
Very limited in scope
Animal parks may be constructed At phase end, larger theme park-type attractions will be planned Road access is signicantly enhanced
Main mode is road
Other modes may be assisted by infrastructure development
Scheduled interstate air services commenced by national operators or afliates Road access continues to be improved, i.e. motorways
International air services commence
Other modes continue to be developed
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Table 1. Continued
Major characteristics Phase One Local tourism Possibly some trafc from rail if the resort is located close to rail services No scheduled air services Generally ignored by local government Phase Two Regional tourism Limited (if any) scheduled air services operated by local airlines Phase Three National tourism Other modes may be signicantly redeveloped, i.e. sea terminals and rail services The need for policy by local and state authorities becomes apparent Shopping complexes built to service the tourism trade Phase Four International tourism Depending on distance to source markets, air may become the dominant mode
Policy
Retailing
Little specic tourism shopping
Tourism maybe incorporated in local government policy documents Emergence of specic tourism shopping
The health of the resort becomes the concern for policy makers at all levels of government Opening of duty free shops, emphasis on international brand shopping experiences
Source: Prideaux (2000a).
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required by specic resorts to achieve desired growth; identication of social and environmental pressures that may be generated through growth; identifying and addressing community and stakeholder concerns; ability to match future growth with desired markets; identication of potential undesirable results such as land degradation or pressure on water supplies; identication of the limits of sustainable growth; and identication of infrastructure required to service current and projected needs. Existing resort models provide researchers with some indication of the possibilities of growth and some sense of the physical aspects that may change but do not clearly identify how the agents of change will inuence, stimulate or even retard further development. For example, the models developed by Lavery (1974) and Young (1983) illustrate spatial aspects of change but do not examine the economic issues that underlie the observable forces of change. Similarly, Kellers (1987) model identies scales of development and changes in the control of capital but does not further analyse economic elements of growth. Although not published as a model, Torres (2002) discussed the role of production theories in destination development, analysing the growth of Cancun, Mexico from a Fordist perspective. This latter approach offers considerable scope for reinterpreting recent changes to the pattern of demand for mass tourism and is discussed briey in the Gold Coast context. This paper will briey outline the mechanism of the RDS, followed by an illustration of the application of the model using the Gold Coast as a case study. A more detailed discussion of the model is found in Prideaux (2000a) and readers are referred there for a full discussion of the economic aspects of the model. In this paper the Gold Coast is described as a resort. This contrasts with the common Australian practice of referring to individual accommodation properties as resorts, leaving the term destination to describe large tourism-focused areas such as the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast is a major Australian resort destination (in this case the term resort describes a small destination) that attracted four million visitors, generating 21.8 million visitor nights and $A2.95 billion expenditure in 2002 (Tourism Queensland 2002). In 2002, international visitors accounted for 20 percent of all visitors and 21 percent of total expenditure. Located in the State of Queensland, the Gold Coast has long been regarded as a domestic tourism Mecca and, in the period from 1985, has grown into a major international resort. Given its importance to Australias tourism industry, the growth of the Gold Coast has been the subject of intense academic scrutiny. Russell and Faulkner (1998) used the Tourism Area Cycle of Evolution to account for the development of Coolangatta, one of the tourism nodes that collectively constitute the Gold Coast, Russell and Faulkner (1999) used Chaos theory as the basis for explaining aspects of the development of tourism on the Gold Coast, Weaver (2000) used the resort as a case study to illustrate the Broad Context Model of Tourism Destination Development and Faulkner (2002) described the possible
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decline of the Gold Coast. Earlier, Smith (1992) used the Gold Coast to illustrate the operation of the Tentative Beach Resort Model.
The Resort Development Spectrum (RDS) The economic theory underlying the RDS is described in detail in Prideaux (1998; 2000a). Briey, the model focuses on the operation of the resort micro-economy, observing changes in the patterns of interaction between buyers (the demand side) and sellers (the supply side) and how this effects a range of market sectors based on origins, giving a two-dimensional view (price and markets) of development. The effects of changing relationships between buyers and sellers, and the economic production systems that underlie these relationships, become apparent in the patterns of development that occur. Over time, mass tourism has replaced earlier forms of tourism, as numerous sand and sun and ski resorts were built in the post-World War II era of afuence, perhaps to be replaced by new forms of differentiated, niche and de-standardized resorts in the future. Urrys (1990) denition of post-modernism based on de-differentiation offers another perspective of this future. As resorts grow, observable spatial changes appear in the built environment as new accommodation complexes, shopping facilities and other resort infrastructure are constructed. Underneath the outward manifestations of growth lies the resort micro-economy that reects changing patterns of demand, supply and the underlying system of economic production. The role of the resort micro-economy has been largely ignored in existing research and may be one of the reasons why existing models have failed to demonstrate a predictive capability. The RDS model argues that the microeconomy exercises a signicant inuence on the investment decisions made by suppliers and, through their decisions, the path and format that growth may take over time. One criticism that may be levelled at the RDS is that it fails to explain the development of instant mass tourism resorts, such as Cancun in Mexico and Phuket in Thailand. This apparent problem will be addressed briey later in the paper. The shifting patterns of supply and demand for resorts over time can also be described from the perspective of shifts in the mode of production and consumption described by the Fordist and modernists schools. While not pursued in detail in this paper, the interpretation of shifting patterns of demand from Fordist and modernist perspectives offer a number of insights into the development patterns of resorts. For example, the development of modern mass tourism is described from a Fordist perspective as the outcome of new patterns of production and consumption that experienced enormous growth after World War II (Torres 2002). Prior to the Fordist
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period, large-scale tourism was conned to the wealthy middle and upper classes who had both the time and money to engage in resort vacations in beach localities, such as Brighton in the UK. In recent decades the shift in contemporary industry production systems from Fordist to post-Fordist or neo-Fordist has been reected in an increasing demand for new forms of individualized, small-scale, specialized niche tourism (Smeral 1998; Torres 2002). These forces, alternatively described by Urry (1990) from a post-modernism perspective as de-differentiation, will impact on the demand for resort tourism and, perhaps, inuence the physical structure of resorts in the future. In an economic sense the RDS illustrates the growth path of resorts, based both on partial equilibrium occurring at specic points in the development process, on a continuum that starts with a small undeveloped coastal locality and concludes with a large international mass tourist resort. A fourphased growth process is identied and a possible fth phase of decline, stagnation or rejuvenation is postulated. Each growth phase exhibits a number of demand- and supply-side characteristics that determine the composition of the resorts tourism market at a particular point in time. Aside from the impact of demand and supply forces that are expressed through partial equilibrium points, where growth pauses as demand and supply are in temporary balance, capacity is also identied as an important and interrelated factor. Resort capacity is a locality-specic factor determined by a combination of forces, including the environment, land supply, community aspirations, perceptual (psychological) components (Wall 1983), government policy, levels of sustainability, availability of infrastructure services and transport access (Prideaux 2000b). While the factors of capacity, sustainability demand, elasticity and equilibrium were considered by the model in a collective sense, their individual contributions were not explored in depth. Failure to include a fuller discussion of demand and the economic systems that generate and supply that demand is an omission that should be rectied in the future because of the signicance of this factor in generating tourist visits (see Urry (1995) for a discussion on aspects of demand for places). Demand is, to a large extent, reective of the perceived uniqueness of the destination and will depend on three factors: 1. the level of interest that an individual tourist has towards the resort, including its natural and built attractions; 2. the reputation of the resort in local, national and international markets; 3. the uniqueness of the resort in terms of its natural and built attractions in local, national and international markets. The model demonstrates that, as resorts grow, infrastructure develops along predictable lines (Table 1). Based on this observation it may be possible to predict in broad terms the changes that will occur over time as resorts move
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from one phase of development to another. For example, Table 1 identies the types of changes that will occur to accommodation types and transport systems as new visitor sectors are attracted to the resort. However, the complexity of resort growth cannot be adequately described in a single table or diagram, although many researchers have attempted this method. For this reason the processes described by the RDS are illustrated in three complementary gures: Figure 2 outlines the operation of the resort microeconomy based on price factors; Figure 1 illustrates growth in the resort according to the market sectors based on distance from the generating region; while Table 1 outlines the sequential development of resort infrastructure over time and by market sectors, thus, giving the model a multi dimensional perspective. The growth path outlined in Figures 1 and 2 illustrates the growth process from two perspectives but with the same overall outcomes. For this reason, Figure 2 includes a discussion on price to illustrate the process of development based on expansion in the quantity and quality of resort infrastructure. In Figure 1, the development perspective switches to the growth process based on market segments without indicating a price element. In the form in which it was rst published, the RDS did not tie together clearly the economic focus illustrated in Figure 2 with market forces illustrated in Figure 1 to demonstrate how each element was a component of the same process, which is illustrated as an infrastructure development matrix in Table 1. To demonstrate the operation of the RDS this paper will examine the growth of the Gold Coast from a small coastal recreational resort serving the nearby Brisbane market into a large international resort destination over a 100-year time span. The model argues that the pattern of growth can be traced through a series of equilibrium or partial equilibrium points which occur during the life of a resort. In Figure 2 the line OO1 represents the long-run supply line of the resort, in addition to representing the long-run growth path. The growth path follows the shifts in equilibrium points that occur over time. This is illustrated in Figure 2, where growth is assumed to commence at point O and continue until the average price level within the resort reaches P1. At this point, growth levels out because equilibrium (E1) is reached between the demand (DD1) for holidays at P1 and the supply of facilities at P1. The actual number of tourist arrivals may continue to increase, attracted by the relatively low price level of the resort. This is reected by the new demand curve, D2D3, which creates a new equilibrium point at E1a. Equilibrium point E1a indicates that growth between Q1 and Q2 is based on expansion of facilities that remain roughly within the budget line imposed by P1. Between OQ2 and OQ3 the model illustrates the impact of a shift in the overall level price level from P1 to P2 to create a new equilibrium point at E2. The increase in price reects the arrival of a new market sector prepared to pay a higher price or changes within the resort that make it more attractive to a larger number of tourists. Part of the increased price
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between P1 and P2 will include the cost of transport, as the new tourist sector may have to travel a greater distance than the original tourist sector. The RDS identies transport access as a major factor in resort growth. Another component of the increase in resort price levels may represent an upgrading of the quality of the resorts tourism product, including more expensive accommodation and restaurants. Growth between OQ and OQ4 will occur at price level P2, while growth beyond point OQ4 will only occur if additional infrastructure including hotels, transport access and new attractions are constructed and the resort is able to attract new groups of tourists prepared to pay the higher price, P3. Following a further period of expansion, a new equilibrium point, E3, will be reached. Figure 2 also recognizes the emergence of a multi-sector resort product based on a number of price segments each with its own unique price elasticity prole. The rate of growth between equilibrium points E1, E2 and E3 will vary depending on the ability of the resort to satisfy 12 key criteria of development outlined in Table 2. Together, these factors comprise a checklist that identies constraints to growth, as well as collectively determining the shape of the growth path and the ideal capacity of a given resort and the ability to achieve long-term
Table 2. Key resort development criteria 1 2 3 4 5 6 The main tourist attractions of the resort (these usually, but not always, include both natural and built attractions) Ability to develop an effective and representative resort marketing authority with appropriate distribution channels Success in developing new tourism-generating regions and new tourism sectors through marketing The support given by local authorities and local residents for tourism development The time that a particular resort take to expand its supply-side capacity (hotels for example) Carrying capacity and sustainability expressed as land available for development, availability of resources such as water, environmental factors and political factors Ability to attract new investment and the composition of that investment The level of support given by regional, state and national governments (this may include support for marketing, building infrastructure and tax concessions) Effect of competing resorts Changes over time in the national and international economies and the production systems that underlie them Investment in new transport infrastructure The distance between the resort and its major generating regions
7 8
9 10 11 12
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social, economic and ecological sustainability. Table 2 can also be modied to enable comparison and evaluation between resorts. If one criterion or more criteria are violated, for example criteria 6 which states that there must be sufcient land available, it is likely that growth will either cease at that point or require signicant policy action by the authorities. Criteria 2, 3, 4 and 5 are discussed in greater detail in Prideaux and Cooper (2002). Figure 1, the Resort Development Spectrum, illustrates the changes that occur in visitor segments over time and are classied on the basis of visitor origin. Visitor segments identied in the model are local, regional, national and international tourists and are specically related to visitor origins. Figure 1 does not illustrate the price effect outlined in Figure 2 because tourists from any visitor segment may choose to purchase resort experiences, including accommodation, anywhere between the lowest price and the highest price. As growth continues, new visitor segments are added, creating a resort market place that can be divided into multiple visitor segments based on visitor origin. At each phase of development, the resort is likely to reach a position where its market is well dened and, to some degree, constrained by capacity, measured in terms of supply. If the resort desires to increase its overall size, it will have to look for new visitor segments and more distant generating regions, as well as work towards enhancing the quality and range of attractions and accommodation and the reputation of the resort. Price will be only one of the factors that determine growth measured by total visitor numbers and the addition of new visitor segments illustrated as phases. As illustrated in Figure 1, members of every visitor segment may purchase resort services including accommodation, leisure activities and shopping at any price level between the cheapest and most expensive price levels, irrespective of generating region. In Prideaux (2000a), price was incorrectly included in the vertical axis of the Resort Development Spectrum model. This problem is corrected in Figure 1. Figure 1 illustrates the case where a resort commences as a small localized tourism resort and, over time, develops into an international resort. However, this is not the path that every resort will follow. Growth is not automatic and can cease or even decline at any time as resorts respond to changes in internal or external factors. Internal factors may range from changed local government priorities, residence resistance to increasing tourism or amendments to land zoning statutes, or constraints imposed by land and water availability. External factors may include competition and amendments to national priorities. If disequilibrium occurs, growth may cease or even decline. While decline and stagnation in Figure 1 is shown to occur after a resort has achieved international status, this process may have begun much earlier. The response by investors to these changes will determine the future shape of the growth path. If remedial action, including new product offerings, refurbishment and advertising, is undertaken, growth may be rekindled. If the fall in demand is permanent, growth may cease and prices will fall until a new permanent equilibrium point is reached at a lower price level.
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Figure 3. Gold Coast tourism growth 19823 to 19967 based on market share. Source: Queensland Tourist and Travel Corporation (1998a; 1998b; 1998c).
The model also demonstrates that there are a number of market segments within a resort. While shown as a smoothed trend line in Figure 1, market sectors will often exhibit different rates of growth and levels of demand, as illustrated in Figure 3, where the Gold Coasts international market is growing concurrently with a slight decline in the intrastate market. The heterogenic nature of resort sectors adds to the level of complexity in the operation of resort markets. The model also illustrates a transition zone, where the rst groups of visitors from more distant generating regions begin arriving in advance of the resort moving from one phase to the next phase of development. Table 1 illustrates the changes that occur in the resort infrastructure as this process occurs on a phase-by-phase basis that correlates with Figure 1. Table 1 traces development in a number of key areas, including accommodation, transport and marketing, as resorts move from one phase of growth to the next. The framework depicted is not exhaustive and many other elements may be added, including retailing, service sectors, government policy, sustainability, distribution, investment, social policy and other infrastructure. Together, Figures 1 and 2 and Table 1 give a multi-dimensional perspective (price, markets and infrastructure) that is lacking in earlier models. The operation of the RDS is demonstrated by applying it to the Gold Coast using case study methodology. Traditionally, research in the social sciences has used both qualitative and quantitative approaches, or in some cases a mix of the two methods. Both methods have been extensively documented, although scientic (or quantitative) methods have dominated (Walle 1997: 524). However, not all investigations lend themselves to the employment of quantitative and/or qualitative methods, particularly where the subject of the investigation involves a phenomenon that exhibits complex and often unquantiable characteristics. In such circumstance case study analysis, dened by Robson (1993: 52) as a research strategy which involves an empirical investigation of a particular phenomenon within its real life context using multiple evidences is a more appropriate methodological approach. As a method of research, case study analysis enables an
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evaluation to be made of the phenomena and the context in which it is occurring. Case studies can be as rigorous as mainstream research, providing attention is given to the logic and practice of case study research (Bailey 1982). An additional advantage of case study research is its ability to use both qualitative and quantitative research (Yin 1989; 1993). Gold Coast Tourism is largely responsible for the development of the Gold Coast in its present form and the industry has exerted a unique inuence on the resorts economic and social prole. During the course of its development a number of shires have been amalgamated to create a single local government authority, the Gold Coast City Council, which is now responsible for administering the entire resort destination. Prior to being ofcially renamed the Gold Coast in 1959 the region was generally referred to as South Coast, a reference to its function as a holiday resort servicing Brisbane, the nearby capital city of the state of Queensland, located 70 km to the north. The Gold Coasts major domestic resort competitor in South East Queensland is the Sunshine Coast, located about 70 km north of Brisbane. The region is approximately 42 km in length and contains a number of distinct urban foci that have combined to form one continuous urbanized strip paralleling the beach. The Gold Coast is sited on a narrow coastal plain bounded by the Pacic Ocean to the east and the Great Dividing Range to the west. Rivers traversing the area tend to be short and dependent on rainfall in the mountainous areas to the west. In the past, the regions rivers acted to divide the region into separate and distinct entities; however, this is no longer the case. A series of mountain ranges, including the McPherson, Beechmont and Wunburra Ranges, ank the western side of the region. These mountains contain a diverse range of ora and fauna, including a number of species classed as rare and/or endangered, include World Heritage-listed parks and have signicant potential for future ecotourism development. Data Limitations Ideally, the operation of the growth patterns described in the RDS should encompass three perspectives: an economic perspective based on a range of economic data, including price indices; visitor data, including spending patterns and origin analysis; and infrastructure development patterns. In the case of the Gold Coast this was impossible, given the lack of collected data of the type described until recent decades. As a consequence, the following discussion will focus on the market and infrastructure dimensions previously illustrated in Figure 1 and Table 1. Two visitor datasets were available for the study: the Queensland Visitors
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Survey (QVS), which was an annual survey of visitors to Queensland funded by the Queensland Tourism and Travel Corporation (QTTC) between the years 19823 and 19967; and the Domestic Tourism Monitor (DTM) produced by the Bureau of Tourism Research (BTR) between 1979 and 1998. The DTM generally estimated higher numbers of visitors than the QVS because of different methods of estimation and because the QVS did not include the category of visiting friends and relatives (VFR). Both the DTM and QVS were discontinued in 1998 and replaced by the National Visitors Survey (NVS) that used different sets of assumptions and denitions. Despite possible underestimation, the QVS was adopted as the primary dataset based on the length of time the series has been collected and the scope of the data available. Because data from the NVS are incompatible with the QVS, growth trends after 19967 are not used. The Gold Coasts Development Phases The following sections outline the growth of the Gold Coast in the period from 1870 to 1997, based on the development phases outlined in the RDS. The time periods indicated by the phases are aligned to the development of new visitor segments and the resort infrastructure that supports these visitor segments. As these trends usually occur over a period of several years or even decades, precise dates cannot always be pinpointed and there is usually a transition zone between phases where the rst visitors from the ensuing visitor segments begin to arrive in increasingly larger numbers. One such transition zone is identied between Phases Two and Three in the period 1947 and 1956 when roads were improved and interstate air services commenced. Phase One: Local Tourism First Settlement in the Region The Gold Coasts proximity to Brisbane and, through Brisbane, to the states main northern settlements resulted in a shortened Phase One that, in effect, telescoped into Phase Two. The RDS postulates that during Phase One most visitors will be residents of nearby towns who travel to the resort as either day-trippers or for overnight stays. Unlike resort towns collectively branded as the Sunshine Coast located to the north of Brisbane, the original settlements in the area now occupied by the Gold Coast had very limited population centres from which to draw Phase One tourism. Brisbane, being the closest population centre, became the major source of visitors within several years of the rst settlements in the area. For this reason, the Gold Coasts tourism industry experienced a very truncated rst phase of development. The same pattern did not occur in the towns in the Sunshine Coast region that provided beach recreation for a number of large nearby non-coastal population centres and, as a consequence, these
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experienced a more pronounced Phase One development. A more detailed discussion of Phase One growth of Sunshine Coast resorts is contained in Prideaux (2000a).
Phase Two: Regional Tourism 1870 to mid-1950s During the period 1870 to the mid-1950s the Gold Coast experienced considerable growth largely because of its role as the main resort town for Queensland residents, particularly those who resided in South East Queensland. During this period, growth of interstate tourism was impeded by poor transports links. Increased settlement in the region forced the government to institute a town-planning scheme and town subdivisions were laid out for Southport in 1874 and Coolangatta in 1883 (Gold Coast City Council 1991: 18). By the late 1870s, Southport had become known as a seaside resort and business people from Brisbane and other nearby towns began building seaside cottages in the area (Holthouse 1982: 21). After visiting Southport in 1884, the Governor of Queensland directed that a viceregal summer home be built at Southport, further enhancing the settlements reputation as a seaside resort. Development of transport links between the Gold Coast and Brisbane underpinned rapid tourism development during this period. The completion of the Brisbane to Southport railway line in 1889 opened the northern part of the region to large-scale visitation from Brisbane. Previously, visitors had relied on coastal steamers and stagecoach services. McRobbie (1982: 22) reported the opening of the railway caused a boom in holiday visitors to Southport with some spill-over to the Main Beach (Surfers Paradise) area. . . .. In its rst year of operation, the railway carried 10,000 people (Grummitt 1984). At that time, Southport boosted a wide sandy beach sheltered from ocean swells by a spit. Surfers Paradise, on the other hand, had a wide sandy beach exposed to ocean swells. Open water swimming did not become popular until well into the twentieth century and the sheltered and relatively calm waters of Southport attracted most of the regions earliest visitors. The depression of 1891, combined with a severe and prolonged drought from 1896 to 1902, temporally slowed tourism development. Recovery from the drought in the latter years of the rst decade of the twentieth century provided a new stimulus for the tourist industry. In 1903, the extension of the railway line to Tweed Heads on the Queensland/New South Wales boarder provided further opportunities for tourism development. The signicance of tourism to the local economy had become apparent as early as 1910, when census gures (Varder and Lang 1980) indicate that almost 80 percent of employment in Southport was tourism generated. This gure includes persons employed in the building industry as well as those engaged in supporting the tourism industry and its employees.
43
From the mid-1930s, automobiles become a popular mode of travel to the Gold Coast and, in the following decades, the highway to Brisbane was reconstructed to an all-weather standard. During the 1950s the Pacic Highway was subject to frequent trafc jams on weekends as Brisbane daytrippers headed to the Coast (Longhurst 1994: 67). The congestion led to a further rebuilding and expansion programme that was repeated at regular intervals over the ensuing four decades. Direct rail access to southern states became a reality with the opening of the interstate railway in 1930. Paradoxically, the Great Depression of the 1930s generated some benets for the Coasts tourist industry. Many wealthy residents of South East Queensland substituted travel to the southern capitals of Sydney and Melbourne with Gold Coast holidays to save money. In southern states, wealthy citizens trying to conserve money commenced holidaying on the Coast in preference to more lengthy and expensive overseas voyages. In spite of the Depression, the Coast experienced a building boom with the rates of approval per capita being 800 percent higher than the state average (McRobbie 1982). The introduction of paid annual leave for most workers by the late 1930s was of considerable benet. Seasonal holiday patterns emerged, with the Southern Hemisphere summer season coinciding with school holidays in December and January and a winter season lasting from June to August. During the winter season, interstate visitors were attracted by the milder Queensland winter weather. The superior spending power of interstate visitors resulted in the upgrading of standards and enabled Surfers Paradise to gain a reputation as the most sophisticated beach town in Queensland (McRobbie 1982: 50). The war years, 193945, interrupted tourism development. For the rst few years little impact was felt by the Gold Coast, which continued to benet from a reputation as being Brisbane and South East Queenslands resort playground. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941 triggered general mobilization in Australia and led to an inux of US service personnel, many of whom were based in South East Queensland. The wellpaid US service personnel gave Gold Coast residents their rst glimpse of the potential economic benets to be gained from attracting high-spending foreign visitors. In spite of the development of interstate railway services, construction of several hotels and an introduction to the potential of overseas visitors, the Gold Coast remained dependent on South East Queensland for the bulk of its visitors during the latter part of the 1940s and the early 1950s. Travel from interstate areas was still time consuming and, until the 1940s, relied heavily on coastal steamers (via Brisbane) and rail. By the end of the decade post-war prosperity led to an increasing level of car ownership and, as roads between the Gold Coast and southern capitals improved, increasing numbers of visitors travelled by car. The post-war introduction of passenger air services greatly reduced travel times and, with continuing improvements
44 P r i d e a u x
to the national highway system, air and road transport became the principal catalyst for the next phase of tourism development. Phase Three: National Tourism mid-1950s to mid-1980s During the period 194756, the Gold Coast entered the transition zone of development leading directly to the national tourism phase of the RDS model, as interstate visitors initially drove and then ew to Queensland when direct air connections to southern capitals were introduced. This phase of development continued for the next three decades and built a solid foundation for the emergence of the Gold Coast into an international resort during the mid-1980s. The Gold Coasts entry into the national tourism market was made possible when travel to the Coast became affordable and the period of annual paid leave was increased. New aviation technology introduced after World War II led to increased passenger comfort, reduced travel times and a reduction in the real price of airfares. Similarly, rapid post-war growth in car ownership, combined with the improvement of the nations interstate highways, made long distance travel by road feasible for the rst time. Coolangatta airport developed as the Gold Coasts main entry point for interstate visitors. The rst regular air services commenced in 1947, while direct ights from Sydney to Coolangatta commenced in 1956. Later, direct ights were established to most of Australias major population centres. Because of the proximity of the Gold Coast to the International Airport at Brisbane there has been little government support for the upgrading of the airport to international status. As a result of these developments, the focus of the Gold Coasts tourism industry underwent considerable change during the late 1940s and early 1950s, rapidly transforming the Gold Coast into a national tourism resort. The image of Surfers Paradise as a fashionable resort was enhanced by media reports that carried much inuence in pre-television days. In an article in the October 1956 issue of the Australian Womens Weekly (McRobbie 1982: 84) entitled Sophistication for Seaside Towns, Mary Coles noted that
unless the pattern of life at Surfers Paradise is molested by a rip-roaring Queensland cyclone, Victoria particularly is likely to run out of people. Meanwhile, the fascination of Surfers Paradise deepens, its charm lies in the ability to make the old feel young and the not very well-to-do people feel rich.
McRobbie (1982: 107) reported that

From the mid-fties onward it was possible to see more interstate number plates in Surfers Paradise than anywhere else in the country including Canberra and this enhanced the towns cosmopolitan atmosphere. Local

residents didnt feel isolated any more the world was coming to them by car and by plane.
45
Mullins (1984) identied the 1950s as the period when the Gold Coast changed its character from a seaside resort largely dependent on Brisbane, to a tourist resort with a broad national focus. The Gold Coasts national holiday market was strengthened by a number of other developments during the 1950s and early 1960s. Introduction of three weeks paid annual leave and the construction of motels, high-rise hotels and high-rise apartments were major factors in the enhanced appeal of the resort in the interstate market. Concurrently, a number of off-beach attractions, including fauna reserves, shopping malls and museums, were opened. In 1972 the rst theme park was opened. During this phase, domestic tourism grew from 160,000 in 1961 to 1.1 million in 19823 (QTTC 1984). As predicted by the RDS, a transition zone, leading into international tourism, emerged in the late 1970s, growing to 6.3 percent of all visitors by 1984. Surprisingly, this phase of development was not based on modern mass tourism characterized by standardized, packaged and inexible tourism production typied by Fordist tourism consumption. Large hotel chains did not begin to show any real interest until it became apparent that the resort was about to move into the international market place and most domestic tourists continued to be characterized as FIT (free independent tourists) rather than GIT (group inclusive tourists). However, this was to change when large numbers of Japanese package tourists began arriving, creating a demand for the mass standardized holiday product.
Phase Four: International Tourism mid-1980s Although considerable energy was directed towards building the Gold Coasts domestic market in the period 195084, the desire to expand into the international market was a vision shared by many Gold Coast entrepreneurs and remained a recurrent theme in promotional efforts (Mc Robbie 1982). This section will examine the steps taken to expand into the international market, identify changes that occurred in the Gold Coasts domestic and international markets and, nally, demonstrate the operation of the RDS. Efforts to tap into the international market place commenced in the 1960s but were hampered by lack of direct air access to overseas markets and deciencies in the Gold Coasts tourism infrastructure. Promotional efforts during the 1960s and 1970s helped establish the Gold Coast as Australias premier coastal resort, as well as laying the foundation for intense tourism development during the latter part of the 1980s and into the 1990s. During the 1960s, considerable attention was given to proposals to
46 P r i d e a u x
construct a casino and also to encouraging the construction of a Hollywood-style movie studio. Although neither proposal succeeded in the 1960s, the casino was eventually opened in 1985 and Warner Brothers Movie World, a combined movie studio and theme park, opened in 1991. Until the early 1980s, most investment in accommodation stock was directed towards motels, ats, apartments and condominiums. Mullins (1984: 41) reported that in the early 1980s about half of all visitors were from Brisbane and only one-fth of visitors stayed in hotels and motels, reecting the signicance of second homes. During the period 1955 to the opening of the ve-star Jupiters Casino Hotel in 1985, no resort hotels were constructed, although there had been much local discussion of the need for such facilities. In a study of Gold Coast investment, Mullins (1984: 35) points to four factors that ultimately stimulated the building of international standard tourist facilities. These were: Downloaded by [ ] at 17:50 16 September 2012 1. large, mainly interstate-based investors, commenced developing residential and commercial properties; 2. a pro-growth working class who beneted from employment in construction; 3. pro-development local and state governments; and, most signicantly, 4. a large and very important petty bourgeoisie who lived and worked on the Gold Coast. The lets do it attitude of Mullins petty bourgeoisie class of Gold Coast public and private sector leaders ultimately created the conditions necessary to launch the Gold Coast into international tourism in a serious way in the mid-1980s. This class, according to Mullins, had entrepreneurial skills, close and important links to major investors and the maverick politics needed to create the investment climate necessary to attract the hallmark projects normally associated with international tourism. Locally known as the White Shoe Brigade, this group included a number of innovative developers (referred to by Russell and Faulkner (1999) as chaos makers), including Mike Gore, Alan Bond, Keith Williams and Christopher Skase. The opening of Jupiters Conrad International hotel casino in 1985, followed closely by other ve-star standard hotels, increased international ights through nearby Brisbane International Airport and promotion by the Australian Tourist Commission (ATC) signied the point at which the Gold Coast entered the international mass tourism market. This development created a new demand and supply equilibrium point that reected the willingness of tourists (representing demand) to pay higher prices for enhanced tourism services and products (tourism supply). Figure 3 illustrates the rapid growth that occurred in international tourism after 19845. The most signicant post-1985 development was the growth of international tourism from Asia. Initiated by Japanese tourists travelling on
47
escorted tours, the Gold Coast rapidly became a popular destination of tourists from Taiwan, Korea, Singapore and Thailand. Shopping and eating habits of Asian visitors have shaped the appearance of Surfers Paradises commercial precincts and exerted considerable inuence on the construction and character of the Coasts built attractions. The changes that occurred in the decade 19809 are best illustrated by Figure 3, which shows changes in the composition of visitors, and Figure 4, which shows changes in the structure of the Gold Coasts accommodation stock. Figure 4 illustrates the development of the Gold Coasts accommodation stock from 1974 and is based on an annual accommodation survey conducted by the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ, various years). The trend that is most apparent is the rapid expansion in the number of luxury hotel and apartment rooms after 1985. Much of the construction in the hotel sector was designed to capitalize on the mass Asian inbound market, particularly from Japan. By 1997, 38 percent of international visitors originated from Japan, followed by 37 percent from other Asian countries. There was also a rapid surge in construction of serviced apartments and units that have become a popular alternative to higher-priced hotels, particularly in the domestic market. Figure 4 clearly identies the commencement of the fourth phase of tourism development in the mid 1980s, based on the construction of accommodation to service international markets which are illustrated in Figure 3.
Figure 4. Expansion of accommodation 197497. The gure shows growth in the number of accommodation units thus, one unit of a caravan park equates to one caravan site and one unit of a hotel is treated as one room. Compiled from annual surveys of accommodation conducted by the Royal Queensland Automobile Club; accommodation ratings have changed over time and were adjusted. Source: RACQ Accommodation Guide (1974 to 1996).
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The operation of the RDS is demonstrated through growth in specic distance-based market sectors (Figure 3) between 19823 and 19967 and through the changes in the accommodation sector (Figure 4). After entering the third phase of development in the 1950s, tourism numbers continued to increase until 1979, when growth peaked and a temporary resort equilibrium point was reached. Data from the DTM indicates that an equilibrium point predicted in Figure 2 was reached between 1979 and 1984, when total visitor numbers oscillated between 1.5 million (1979, 1980, 1984) and 1.6 million visitors (1981, 1982). Commencing in 1985, interstate and international visitor arrivals began to increase rapidly. Enhanced access by air, combined with an expansion of other resort infrastructure, including many new four- and ve-star hotels, underpinned the movement away from the 197984 equilibrium point, as predicted by the RDS. Expansion of the demand for Gold Coast holidays and the supply of tourism infrastructure such as hotels have continued since 1985 to the extent that a new stable equilibrium point has yet to emerge.
Phase Five: Post-Mass Tourism The RDS has postulated a fth stage of decline, stagnation or rejuvenation based on the market sectors serviced by the resort rather than the total number of tourists suggested by the TALC model. The RDS also postulated that decline, stagnation or rejuvenation may occur in one of the market sectors but not others. For example, between 19889 and 19967 the Gold Coasts domestic market demonstrated all the features of a stagnant market. Conversely, the international market grew signicantly during the same period. However, between 1998 and 2002 the domestic market recovered and grew by 13 percent or 2.6 percent per annum. An important implication for these trends is that within any resort there may be a mix of market sectors in growth or decline and that the apparent development of stagnation may only be short term. This is an important observation for planning authorities and industry and demonstrates the heterogenic nature of resorts that has often been ignored in the past. Based on gures current to 1999, Faulkner (2002) feared that the Gold Coast, which he described as a mature destination of the kind predicted by the TALC, was showing signs of stagnation and he suggested a number of steps towards rejuvenation, including a visioning strategy designed to identify new markets and products in the long term. A signicant component of this process was community consultation designed to develop strategic scenarios of the future, followed by a conversion process to ignite rejuvenation. The danger in labelling a destination as in a state of decline is that visitor numbers at any given point in time are subject to many external forces and changes may only be short term and initial indications of stagnation may only be a temporary pause.
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It is possible to observe in the mountainous hinterland region adjoining the Gold Coasts western boundary, a growth in niche tourism products based on homestays, farm tourism, bed and breakfast accommodation, ecotourist lodges, craft and art shops, ecotourism and adventure tourism. Specialist or niche tourism services and products of this kind are similar to the post-Fordist or neo-Fordist structure of tourism described by Torres (2002). From a post-modernist perspective, future development in the hinterland, as well as in the coastal strip, may follow a mix of pseudoevents of the nature described by Boorstin (1964) and a quest for authentic experiences described by MacCannell (1973). Most recent gures indicate that the total visitor numbers for the Gold Coast are continuing to increase, hence a classic decline, stagnation or rejuvenation trend is not yet apparent. What is apparent is that in the future the Gold Coast has the potential to pursue both mass tourism, of the style described as Fordist or modern, in tandem with the development of postFordist, neo-Fordist, post-modern forms of tourism consumption.
Validity of the Model The preceding discussion demonstrates the operation of the RDS from the market origin and infrastructure perspectives in circumstances where international tourism is preceded by domestic tourism. The proximity of the Gold Coast to Brisbane and the absence of other nearby urban communities saw a fusing of the rst and second phases. Although the Gold Coast gained popularity as a coastal resort with residents of southern states as early as the 1890s, it remoteness and poor transport access meant that the bulk of visitors were sourced from Brisbane until the post-World War II period. Initially, based on rail and, later, on road travel, the Gold Coast has continued to function as a coastal resort for Brisbane residents from the 1880s to the present. Expansion of the Gold Coast into the national market (Phase Three of the model) commenced during the period from the late 1940s to the early 1950s when direct ights commenced to southern capital cities and interstate travel by road became feasible. During the period from the early 1950s to 1985, the Gold Coast consolidated its position as Queenslands and, later, Australias leading coastal resort. From another perspective, this era of growth coincided with the emergence of modern mass tourism as a worldwide phenomenon, although until the discovery of the Gold Coast by Japanese package tourists in the mid-1980s the typical Fordist characteristics of highly standardized, packaged and relatively inexible tour production and consumption were not evident. Although some foreign tourists visited the resort during the third phase of development, its expansion into the international market had to wait for the nations development as a recognized international destination and for the development of
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Figure 5. The Resort Development Spectrum on the Gold Coast. Dotted vertical lines denote end of one phase and beginning of the next. Note that Phase One has been telescoped into Phase Two.
infrastructure capable of meeting the demands of the international market. By 1985, the airports servicing the Gold Coast were capable of handling large volumes of domestic and international trafc and international airlines commenced direct services between Brisbane and Europe and Asia, thus, avoiding hubbing through Sydney. The development of the Gold Coast through the phases of the Resort Development Spectrum is illustrated in Figure 5, which outlines a stylized growth path from 1870 to 1997. The evidence suggests that construction of major supply-side facilities, such as roads, airports and accommodation, are important triggers for resort growth. As predicted in Table 1, the expansion of the resort from Phase Three to Phase Four required expansion into the international market with parallel development of new infrastructure, particularly hotels. As capacity expands, resorts are able to attract additional tourists from existing and, importantly, new markets. It is apparent that growth also has a distance element and is demonstrated by the rapid growth in international visitors after 1985. The expansion of the Gold Coast into the international market did not occur until a number of criteria, identied in Table 2, were satised. These included development of direct air services from Brisbane International airport to Asia (criterion 11), construction of new tourism icon attractions (criterion 1) and opening of suitable international standard hotels (criteria 5 and 7). On the demand side, the success in attracting Japanese group tours
Table 3. Changes in the tourism structure of the Gold Coast resort structure over time
Infrastructure Tourist types Phase One N/A Phase Two (1870 to early 1950s) Domestic from Brisbane Second houses, beach camping, guest houses, pubs Informal Phase Three (mid-1950s to 1985) As Phase Two, plus interstate Motels, tourist hotels, units, rental houses, caravan parks Emergence of DMOa assisted by the state tourism organization (STO) Beach centred, plus shopping, rst smallscale theme parks and nature-based tours Phase Four (1985 to 2000s) As Phases Two and Three, plus mass international tourism As previous, plus vestar resort hotels and integrated resorts Strong DMO, considerable support from STO and national tourist organization Major theme parks, up-market shopping, niche tourism and sophisticated night life; beach not the main focus As Phase Three, plus international air services Local, state and national had become involved As Phase Three, with international name brand outlets Phase Five (possible signs by early 2000s) As Phase Four, plus niche tourists As Phase Four, plus bed and breakfast, eco-friendly lodges As Phase Four
Accommodation
N/A
Marketing
N/A
Attractions
N/A
Beach, recreation
As Phase Four, plus post-Fordist-style niche tours and shopping, including art galleries
Transport
N/A
Boat, rail, carriage and later car Local authority only
Rail, car and domestic air Local government and business organizations, state government Emergence of recreational shopping and mass souvenirs
As Phase Four
Policy
Local authority only
As Phase Four
Shopping
Local residents only
Basic tourist requirements for food
As Phase Four, plus up-market artistproduced goods
aDMO:
51
Destination Management & Organisation
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(criteria 2 and 3) to the coast enabled the Gold Coast to adopt the title of international resort and use the Japanese market as a base for further expansion into other Asian markets, including Taiwan and Korea. Underlying these developments, were high levels of support by the Gold Coasts residents (criterion 4) and the support given by Tourism Queensland and the Australian Tourist Commission (criterion 8). Previous attempts to induce demand-side growth in the 1960s and early 1970s, by promoting the Gold Coast as a suitable destination for overseas tourists, failed because of the inadequacy of its supply-side infrastructure (criterion 9), including unsuitable transport infrastructure (criterion 11). If the RDS model had been available in 1980 it would have shown, based on the infrastructure matrix of Table 1, that the Gold Coast would only enter into a fourth phase when international standard hotels were built, international standard attractions became available and new international air links were established. When these occurred, as they did from 1985 onwards, the resort entered Phase Four (Table 3). During the period 19907, there was no growth in the traditional intrastate market, although sustained growth in international visitors resulted in overall resort growth. By 1999, the pattern of intrastate visits had reversed and visitor numbers had begun to rise. The pattern of no growth in one market parallelling substantial growth in another market signies that individual market sectors can experience different rates of growth or decline. These changes may be masked by the overall pattern of development in the resort. These patterns of growth indicate the heterogeneous nature of resorts, the existence of sectors that simultaneously exhibit different elasticity of demand, and point to the need to monitor all market sectors closely to prevent decline in one sector spreading to other sectors. In the case study presented in this paper, the growth of a typical coastal resort in an economically developed country is described. Growth is initially stimulated by increasing domestic demand followed later by the growth of an international sector described as Phase Four. In developing countries a reverse pattern of development occurs, with initial development based on a Phase Four market followed later by Phase One to Three development as national economic development transforms society. Examples of this pattern of development are evident in Phuket, Bali and Acapulco and will be reported upon in a later paper.
Conclusions The Resort Development Spectrum illustrates the role of the market in resort development but does not invalidate other resort models. Weaver (2000) for example, observed that Butlers resort model has some utility as an ideal type against which the real world may be measured and compared. Similarly, the spatial models developed by Barrett (1958), Young
53
(1983) and Smith (1992) added to the understanding of how the economic aspects of resorts are translated into physical structures measured as zones of development. Russell and Faulkners (1999) discussion of investors (described as chaos makers) illustrates the critical and generally ignored role of entrepreneurs in the development process. Torres (2002) analysis of the development of Cancun, Mexico from a Fordist perspective sheds light on the factors that have promoted modern mass tourism resort development and, importantly, give some sense of the changes that may be expected when tourists begin to demand neo-Fordist and post-Fordist tourist experiences. The RDS adds a new dimension to research into resort growth by identifying the economic processes that occur in the resort micro-economy, identifying the heterogeneous nature of market sectors and providing a framework that describes the infrastructure changes that occur in each developmental phase. Using this framework, Table 1 illustrates that it is possible to identify the types of infrastructure investment that produce growth in both the volume of tourists and by market sectors. Table 1, in conjunction with Table 2, can be used as a template to develop scenarios that indicate the investments required to achieve further growth and to give a broad picture of the types and limitations of growth that are possible. It is in this area that the RDS holds the greatest promise for use in ex ante investigations into the potential of candidate resort areas for future development, by incorporating scenario analysis of changing patterns of tourism demand, possibly incorporating post-Fordist, neo-Fordist and postmodernist production theories. By rst developing projections of the future spatial opportunities for development based on the criteria outlined in Table 2, a sense of the type of development that may be possible can be estimated. This will include constraints imposed by physical, social, cultural and environmental factors, as well as responses to demands for non-mass tourism experiences, such as the limited niche tourism products now being developed in the Gold Coast hinterland area. If a resort is identied as a potential candidate for further development, the broad constraints will be known prior to initiation of the process. As growth occurs, the actual form of growth will be signicantly shaped by the criteria outlined in Table 2. As suggested, the identication of scenarios illustrating various options of the magnitude and complexity of development will assist local government and residents to make informed decisions on the future course of development. The RDS overcomes many of the problems associated with existing models that have concentrated on the effects or impacts of growth from a post ante position. The strength of the RDS is that it illustrates the type of actions and policies that are required, ex ante, to facilitate growth from one phase to the next and can incorporate changes that occur as a result of changing demand patterns particularly from modern mass tourism to new experiences based on specialized niche products or de-differentiated consumption. This feature of the model is relevant to planning. Thus, if a particular locality exhibits potential for development as a resort, it is
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possible to predict the type of infrastructure required for growth to proceed and encourage the construction of appropriate facilities and infrastructure through local government zoning and town planning policies. For example, in Figure 2, roads constructed to service tourism demand at capacity OQ1 will be unlikely to be capable of handling the trafc generated at capacity level Q3Q4 By employing the RDS to measure the type of development likely to occur at Q3Q4, sufcient allowance for road expansion can be included when road reserves are zoned at capacity OQ1. Similarly, allowances can be made for increased demand for water, sewerage, education institutions and areas required for future retail and commercial development. Initiatives of this type will be instrumental in averting many of the land acquisition and zoning disputes that emerge when unplanned growth has reduced both the effectiveness of existing land zoning and the long-term effectiveness of town planning schemes. It is apparent that many factors together create the resort phenomenon. Future research needs to be directed at investigating the many factors involved, focusing on the contribution of each to the matrix of growth. Areas that could be further investigated to ascertain their contribution to the growth process include the development of accommodation, distribution, retail facilities, level of sustainability, marketing, policy, changing economic systems and transport. Further research is also required into the growth of instant mass tourism resorts, such as Cancun and Phuket, that rely on international tourism rather than domestic tourism as the initial engine of growth.
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Note on contributor Bruce Prideaux holds the position of Professor of Marketing and Tourism Management in the School of Business, James Cook University, Australia. His major research interests are in destination development issues, the role of transport in tourism development, future studies and, more recently, in research diffusion.
Rsum: Analyse de la croissance de lieux de sjour touristique de long de la Cte dOr de lAustralie
Les modes de croissance de lieux de sjours touristiques demeurent un sujet de recherche en tourisme depuis plus de soixante ans et pourtant, la capacit des modles avancs rcemment pour expliquer le processus na pas t dmontre de faon satisfaisante. Nous proposons dans cet article un Eventail de Croissance de Lieux de Sjours Touristiques en tant que modle utiliser comme outil de planication. Cet outil devrait prdire lvolution future probable dun lieu de sjour touristique. Le modle est multidimensionnel. Il se base sur lapprciation de la faon dont la demande volue par rapport au march, dans ces lieux. Il incorpore des interprtations fordistes et post-fordistes de la production et de la demande. On a test le modle en lutilisant pour expliquer les 130 dernires annes dvolution le long de la Cte dOr de lAustralie. On a conclu que le modle explique de faon satisfaisante le mode de croissance du tourisme le long de cette cte.
Mots-cls: Eventail de Croissance de Lieux de Sjours Touristiques, Cte dOr, lieu de sjour touristique, destination, croissance, post-fordisme
Zusammenfassung: Untersuchung der Ferienanlagenentwicklung an der australischen Gold Coast

Die Wachstumspfade von Ferienanlagen sind bestndig Gegenstnde der Tourismusforschung seit mehr als sechzig Jahren. Trotzdem ist es auch in jngerer Zeit vorgestellten Modellen noch nicht gelungen, den Entwicklungsprozess hinreichend befriedigend operationalisierend zu erklren. Dieser Beitrag diskutiert das Resort Development Spectrum als eine Mglichkeit, welche ein Modell darstellt, dass als Planungsinstrument genutzt werden kann in der
58 P r i d e a u x
Vorhersage wahrscheinlicher Muster in der Entwicklung von Ferienanlagen. Dieses Modell ist multidimensional und grndet auf dem Verstndnis der nachfrageseitigen Antwort auf den Markt, welcher die Ferienanlagen betreibt. Es beinhaltet zudem Elemente der fordistischen und postfordistischen Interpretation von Produktion und Nachfrage. Das Modell wurde zu Testzwecken zur Erklrung der Entwicklung der Cold Coast von Queensland in den letzten 130 Jahren herangezogen. Es erwies sich sich dabei als befriedigend zur Erklrung des Wachstumspfads der touristischen Entwicklung der Gold Coast.
Stichwrter: Resort Development Spectrum, Gold Coast, Ferienanlage, Zielgebiet, Wachstum, Postfordismus

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This article was downloaded by: [ ] On: 16 September 2012, At: 17:50 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered

Tourism Geographies: An International Journal of Tourism Space, Place and Environment

School ofTourism and Leisure Management, University of Queensland, Australia

Version of record first published: 04 Jun 2010.

Tourism Geographies, Vol. 6, No. 1, 2658, February 2004

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Figure 1. The Resort Development Spectrum. Source: Prideaux (2000a).

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Table 1. Changes in resort infrastructure over time

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Beach houses Caravan parks

Three- and four-star hotels Integrated resorts

Licensed hotels (not resorts)

Caravan parks still important

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Well developed marketing strategy

First man-made attractions built, generally on a small scale

Very limited in scope

Main mode is road

Other modes may be assisted by infrastructure development

International air services commence

Other modes continue to be developed

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Little specic tourism shopping

Source: Prideaux (2000a).

Place: The Resort Development Spectrum

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McRobbie (1982: 107) reported that

Place: The Resort Development Spectrum

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Boat, rail, carriage and later car Local authority only

Local authority only

Local residents only

Basic tourist requirements for food

As Phase Four, plus up-market artistproduced goods