Boosterism

Boosterism is still an essential feature of tourism planning because it ensures that a large number of places which would not have been recognized get a chance to be toured. In the modern world, tourism has become one of the most desired activity by many individuals and it is for this reason that boosterism can be used as an effective means of developing the tourism industry (Simmons, 1994). Boosterism enables the development of a positive opinion concerning a location which is intended to attract tourist and it also allows for the creation of a reputation which is not only good for the local population, but also to ensure that any negative reports concerning a destination are overcome. In most cases, boosterism is often considered a negative aspect of tourism promotion because not all information that is given concerning various destinations may necessarily turn out to be true. Despite this being the case, it is necessary to use it to attract potential tourists because the latter often want to see life or places, which are different from their own. Therefore, while boosterism is sometimes seen in a negative light, it is an essential part of tourism planning because it brings previously obscure areas into the limelight.

One of the biggest concerns of tourists before they visit any country is often political stability and this is because of their need to guarantee their personal safety. In the modern world, with the likelihood in the incidents of terrorist activities, many potential tourists have become discouraged from visiting certain parts of the world. It is for this reason that some countries, especially those likely to be affected, have come to adopt boosterism to make sure that they remain attractive destinations for tourists. Furthermore, this type of promotion makes possible the development of effective planning to ensure that the security of tourists is guaranteed under all circumstances (Dredge and Jenkins, 2006, 29). Therefore, using boosterism, countries are able to create an image of themselves where their political situation is perceived as being among the most stable in the world and it is for this reason that they come to be considered as interesting places for tourists to visit. Furthermore, there has been a recognition that many individuals tend to avoid those countries whose democratic credentials are questionable because they believe that to visit those countries would be to indirectly support their autocratic governments (Burns, 1999). Because of such perceptions, most governments, especially those that have a questionable reputation for democracy have adopted boosterism as a means of promoting their tourism industry. Among the attributes that they tend to emphasize is that they are extremely peaceful and secure countries which can guarantees the safety as well as wonderful experiences of those tourists who visit. They often further emphasize that the stability of government has enabled the development of an efficient security apparatus in all the major tourism destinations within them, whose main task is to ensure that all the tourists visiting them are kept safe from criminals (Sautter and Leisen, 1999). This type of promotion has ensures that even the most authoritarian states in the world continue to have a constant flow of tourists who enhance the tourism industry hence economic development.

Boosterism tends to have a positive effect on the development of the service industries of the areas being promoted because it allows their development to cater for different needs. Among the most fundamental aspects that make sure that boosterism have some form of authenticity is through the development of a credible service industry because it is the latter which not only caters for tourists, but also make it possible for the destination to have a good reputation (Badam 2009, p.47). Most of the tourism destinations, which employ the use of boosterism, such as small towns or remote regions, tend to have such a highly developed service industry that employs a large part of their population. Furthermore, boosterism makes it possible for the enhancement of the reputation of different destinations to such an extent that there is a constant stream of tourists and this ensures that almost its entire population is in one way or the other involved in the tourism industry. This situation not only allows for making the destination more attractive for visitors, but it also gives tourists the confidence of visiting it, sometimes on numerous occasions, because in their previous visits, they often received the best services (Gill and Williams, 1994). In this way, boosterism helps in the development of the  service industry which ensures that whenever anyone visits the place which is being promoted, he or she is able to have a good time through not only visiting the tourist attractions but also by having people available to get them whatever they desire.