destination’s stakeholders, in particular the local, state and federal tourism authorities, which focus on increasing the extent to which all of Acapulco’s capitals can be
exploited, as each is dependent on the others for its individual success. For example,
failure to improve Acapulco’s social capital would hinder the efforts evoked to
exploit environmental capital and human capital, while an ineffectual attempt to
increase political capital would impede endeavours to fulfil the potential of financial
capital.
Sharpley’s model provides a useful platform from which to evaluate the needs,
capitals, opportunities and threats of a destination in decline, from both an academic
and practical perspective. In an academic sense, it evades the incongruity that
Sharpley (2009) associates with the sustainable tourism paradigm and permits the
scholar to assess the exploitative capability of a destination from a pragmatic,
capitalist perspective. Yet not only does the model present a logical basis for
development, it can also be used as a specific framework from which to consider a
destination that has passed through the stagnation process and is now in decline. In
this respect, it encourages the observer to consider the historical processes, both
internal and external, that have contributed to the destination’s decline, permits
contemplation of the factors that currently restrict capital exploitation and stimulates
the advancement of possible solutions to the negative issues afflicting a particular
destination. While it could be criticised for overlooking the intricate perspectives
offered by emerging paradigms such as complexity theory and evolutionary economic geography, this was never the intention of the model. That is, it is offered as a
commonsensical tool of analysis, a framework from which to develop tourism plans
based on the advantages that the destination can offer and the circumstances of its
internal and external environment. For this reason, it also functions well as a
practical tool as it allows locally based practitioners to prepare a ‘mission statement’,
undertake an ‘internal audit’ of the destination and plan appropriate strategies based
on the objectives, the results of the capitals analysis and the opportunities (in terms
of markets, products, external aid) and threats present at the time. In the case of
Acapulco, the practitioners leading the development process would be those from
the local municipal tourism authority although the lack of political capital present
suggests that it would require close collaboration with their state and federal
counterparts. Further research and debate is required to validate this research and
elaborate on the appropriateness of the destination capitals perspective to assess a
destination in decline and provide appropriate guidance for development. A longitudinal case study would be particularly welcome, one that could empirically
demonstrate the initiation and development of strategies and policies derived from
the application of the model to a particular destination and serve to identify the
unfolding factors that contribute to or restrict its usefulness.
4 Regenerating the Pearl of the Pacific: A Destination Capitals. . .
59
exploited, as each is dependent on the others for its individual success. For example,
failure to improve Acapulco’s social capital would hinder the efforts evoked to
exploit environmental capital and human capital, while an ineffectual attempt to
increase political capital would impede endeavours to fulfil the potential of financial
capital.
Sharpley’s model provides a useful platform from which to evaluate the needs,
capitals, opportunities and threats of a destination in decline, from both an academic
and practical perspective. In an academic sense, it evades the incongruity that
Sharpley (2009) associates with the sustainable tourism paradigm and permits the
scholar to assess the exploitative capability of a destination from a pragmatic,
capitalist perspective. Yet not only does the model present a logical basis for
development, it can also be used as a specific framework from which to consider a
destination that has passed through the stagnation process and is now in decline. In
this respect, it encourages the observer to consider the historical processes, both
internal and external, that have contributed to the destination’s decline, permits
contemplation of the factors that currently restrict capital exploitation and stimulates
the advancement of possible solutions to the negative issues afflicting a particular
destination. While it could be criticised for overlooking the intricate perspectives
offered by emerging paradigms such as complexity theory and evolutionary economic geography, this was never the intention of the model. That is, it is offered as a
commonsensical tool of analysis, a framework from which to develop tourism plans
based on the advantages that the destination can offer and the circumstances of its
internal and external environment. For this reason, it also functions well as a
practical tool as it allows locally based practitioners to prepare a ‘mission statement’,
undertake an ‘internal audit’ of the destination and plan appropriate strategies based
on the objectives, the results of the capitals analysis and the opportunities (in terms
of markets, products, external aid) and threats present at the time. In the case of
Acapulco, the practitioners leading the development process would be those from
the local municipal tourism authority although the lack of political capital present
suggests that it would require close collaboration with their state and federal
counterparts. Further research and debate is required to validate this research and
elaborate on the appropriateness of the destination capitals perspective to assess a
destination in decline and provide appropriate guidance for development. A longitudinal case study would be particularly welcome, one that could empirically
demonstrate the initiation and development of strategies and policies derived from
the application of the model to a particular destination and serve to identify the
unfolding factors that contribute to or restrict its usefulness.
4 Regenerating the Pearl of the Pacific: A Destination Capitals. . .
59