Pro-Poor Tourism's Evolution and Implications Arising from the COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT Building on David Harrison's critique of the concept, this essay describes the emergence of pro-poor tourism as a banner for development interventions focusing on poverty reduction. It reviews the application of the approach in practice, including through community-based tourism and encouraging the sector to benefit the poor through equity, employment and supply chains. Two decades on, while researchers continue to apply the term development agendas now seldom do – preferring focus on sustainable tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals. The COVID-19 pandemic has starkly revealed how important tourism had been to rural people's incomes, and the devastating effects when visitors disappeared. Resilient tourism enterprises have exhibited diverse products and income streams, and ethical operators have endeavoured to sustain livelihoods staff. Hence, although terminology has evolved, the pro-poor tourism mantra continues to provide a valuable lens through which to prioritise net-benefits to vulnerable members of societies.