The chapter is concerned with the use of tourism as a developmental tool in urban economic (re)development strategies in Southern cities. The point of departure is that it has to be acknowledged that urban tourism in many Southern cities is largely invisible to the scholarly gaze. The existing scholarship tends to focus on ‘international’ and/or ‘overseas’ tourists, generally visiting from places in the Global North. The conceptualisation of urban tourism requires greater analytic depth to research beyond narrow views to be more attentive toregional and domestic tourists in Southern destinations and their role in urban (re)development. Related to this it is argued that such development strategies need to be clear in unpacking what urban tourism constitutes in various Southern contexts and who is targeted as a key beneficiary. Drawing on some examples it is argued that, once urban tourism is established as a key developmental strategy, path dependency can develop which can, if not clearly and carefully managed, lead to redevelopment outcomes that contradict other planning objectives in Southern cities andoften come at the expense of the urban poor.
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Front Matter
