Tourism development and impacts: lessons from the Island of Rhodes, Greece

During the post Second World War period, the island of Rhodes experienced significant changes at several levels of its economy, society, and environment, associated directly or indirectly with rapid tourism development. The tourism impacts are profound on both locals and visitors. The purpose of this paper is to examine the key informants’ perceptions in Rhodes toward tourism impacts. Moreover it correlates the respondents’ perceptions with the previous studies’ outcomes in the region. Finally, it produces information concerning the perceived future strategies and policies that have to be followed and discusses tourism evolution in Rhodes based on various theories of tourism development