This chapter explored the historical foundations of sustainable tourism. Following this, was a
discussion of the practice of sustainable tourism development, looking at the models of
ecotourism and other niche markets, CBT and PPT. The challenges of the practical
implementation of these processes highlight the weaknesses in the theoretical foundations
of sustainable tourism development. In order to develop pathways for best practice, the
theoretical foundations of sustainable tourism development and the dissonance with
practical implementation must be addressed. This is captured in a pictorial representation of
the theoretical framework informing this research. This chapter concludes with the
identification of the research question, and the research outcomes to emerge from this
research.
Note: To facilitate the reading of this work, a glossary is provided (page 198) which defines
key terms and acronyms. All Khmer (Cambodian) terms (italicised) are defined in the
glossary also.