The idea behind Sustainable Tourism Development is, of course, that tourism should ‘sustain’ its own resource. This might be conservation of water, or the natural unspoilt beauty of the country, beaches of clean white sand, or the profusion and variety of flowers, plants, birds and animals (biodiversity), traditional ways of life, and cultural heritage. Conserve these - the reasons for people to visit an area - and tourism can ‘sustain’ the local community for centuries. Degrade or destroy, and the resource will be lost for ever, and often with it the economic viability of the community.