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Abstract
The growth paths of resorts has been an enduring topic of tourism research for over sixty years yet the ability to operationalize models currently put forward to explain the process has not been satisfactorily demonstrated. The Resort Development Spectrum discussed in this paper is a candidate for providing a model that does possesses an ability to be used as a planning tool in the forecasting of the likely pattern of resort development into the future. The model is multidimensional and based on an understanding of the demand-side response to the market that operates in resorts and incorporates elements of Fordist, post-Fordist interpretation of production and demand. The model is tested by using it to explain the last 130 years of development on the Gold Coast, Queensland. The model is found to satisfactorily explain the growth path of tourism development on the Gold Coast.