Tourism is claimed to represent 9% of global GDP so how can the positive economic impact of tourism be increased at the local level, whilst minimising negative impacts? Tourism and Local Economic Development is a groundbreaking text that critically addresses the theories which seek to explain the contribution which tourism can make to economic development, and then moves on to look at a wide range of initiatives and approaches to identify how the local economic benefits of tourism can be maximised. * How can tourism be harnessed to create thriving destinations and to improve the livelihoods of the communities who live with tourism? * How can we intervene to increase the contribution which tourism makes to creating better places for people to live in? * How can tourism be used to benefit the people who live in the destinations we visit? It discusses potential mechanisms: procurement and the supply chain for tourism businesses, employment, direct sales to tourists and pro-poor tourism and reviews some of the issues, such as all inclusives, second home ownership, disintermediation, tax, regulation and certification and slum tourism. The concluding part focuses on practice: how to structure an intervention to increase local economic benefit and to report impacts. Essential reading for all students of tourism and practitioners wishing to use tourism more effectively to create local economic development and improve livelihoods.