Abstract:

Much of the research effort so far undertaken in the tourism field by destination countries/areas has been directed towards establishing the type of people who visit the destination and the factors which influence their choice. This information is generally used to design advertising and other promotional campaigns to persuade more visitors to come. Too little attention has been placed in tourism research on investigating whether or not a destination area has reached a "saturation" level so that appropriate steps can be taken. The paper suggests that it may be very difficult to measure precisely whether or not a tourist destination has reached "saturation" point. Nevertheless it is possible to carry out some useful research, examining the availability, during the peak summer season of various facilities used by tourists and examine the attitudes of both residents and tourists, which will enable one to form a judgement on the question.