TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AGENTS - THE CYPRIOT RESORT CYCLE

Few applications of Butler's resort cycle have related the role of the state to the activities of foreign tourism operators and the indigenous context in determining the evolution of tourism at various destinations. This paper provides a holistic perspective of the blend of foreign with indigenous factors in shaping the Cypriot tourism industry. While the island's tourism is subject to a considerable degree of influence from transnational firms, the Government has been a key force responsible for emerging developmental patterns. This research stresses the importance of perceiving the growth of tourism at a destination, not as an actor-less development path, but one contingent on the behavior of national institutions and their response to international agents.