An Assessment of 'Governance' for Sustainable Tourism Development: the case of North Cyprus

The issue of governance towards sustainability is particularly pertinent and vitally important in sustainable tourism development context. Many of Less Developed Countries (LDCs) have been indicted in practicing unsustainable tourism development leading to inevitably irreversible side effects resulting in social, cultural, and environmental problems. Despite a huge promotion of sustainable tourism development (STD) by influential entities and communities such as European Union and United Nations agencies, LDCs fail to transform or practice STD due to lack of knowledge and commitment towards this concept and as a result - the lack of governance for sustainability. Sustainability and good governance are the driving forces behind good development. No matter how contested they become, they are still at the heart of institutions that are in charge of economic growth and development via sustainable utilization of the resources. The assumption is that, North Cyprus lacks the favourable and effective environment/governance - political economical, legal, social - if such structure exists at all, to incorporate sustainable principles in its tourism development. This study will be one more attempt to revitalize the concept of development in a sustainable way and at the same time to add one more legitimate caveat to the role of the “governance” in upholding the value of such paradigm. The policy implication of the research for decision makers in North Cyprus will be immense. This study argues that sustainability/sustainable development is best viewed as a socially instituted process of adaptive change in which innovation is a necessary element.