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Resort Town
A resort town, oftentimes called a resort city or resort destination, refers to an area where tourism or vacationing is the primary component of the local culture and economy. A typical resort town contains one or more actual resorts in the surrounding area, though there are some instances where a resort town simply describes a locale popular among tourists.

Generally, tourism is the main export in a resort town economy, with most residents of the area working in the tourism or resort industry. Shops and luxury boutiques selling locally-themed souvenirs, motels, and unique restaurants often proliferate the downtown areas of a resort town.

In the case of the United States, resort towns were created around the late 1800's and early 1900's with the development of early town-making. Consistent, however, throughout many resort towns includes elements of ambitious architecture, romanticizing a location, and dependence on cheap labor.

Resident perceptions in a resort town
Tourism in resort towns have Residents of Antalya could differentiate between benefits and costs while still remaining predominantly supportive of tourism. In addition, this study empirically verified that residents with the highest overall level of support for tourism expansion in Antalya tended to be people who were more educated, did not live in the proximity of the city's central tourist area, were more frequent users of tourism facilities, had tourism‐dependent income, and were employed in jobs that had a direct relation to tourism Korça, Perver. "Resident Perceptions Of Tourism In A Resort Town." Leisure Sciences 20.3 (1998): 193. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.

Economic impact of tourism
Local residents are generally receptive of the economic impacts of tourism. Resort towns tend to enjoy lower unemployment rates, improved infrastructure, more advanced telecommunication and transportation capabilities, and enjoy higher standards of living and greater income in relation to those who live outside this area. Increased economic activity in resort towns can also have positive effects on the country's overall economic growth and development. In addition, business generated by resort towns have been credited with supporting the local economy through times of national market failure and depression, as in the case of San Marcos, California during the cotton market bust in the early 1920's and Great Depression of 1929.

In a recent study conducted by the Urban and Regional Planning Department of Istanbul Technical University, 401 local residents in the resort community of Antalya were interviewed and asked to give their opinion on the economic impacts of tourism. Among the participants, 67% had lived in Antalya for over ten years, 66% had at least a high school degree, and 30% reported jobs that were related to tourism. The results are as follows:

Perceived Impact on Select Economic Impact Items

More recently, resort towns have come under greater scrutiny by local communities. Instances where resort towns are poorly managed have adverse effects on the local economy. One example is the uneven distribution of income and land ownership between local residents and businesses. During tourist season, increased demand for accommodation may raise the price of land, causing a simultaneous increase in rent for local residents whose income in invariably lower than foreign residents. This results in a preponderance of foreigners in the land market and an erosion of economic opportunities for local residents.

The revenues amassed from tourism typically do not benefit the host country or the local communities. Income to local communities generated by tourism are all of the expenditures accrued after taxes, profits, and wages are paid out; however, around 80% of traveler's expenditures go to airlines, hotels, and international companies, not to local businesses. These funds are referred to as leakages. Tourism has also been blamed for other negative economic impacts to local communities. Although resort towns usually boast more improved infrastructure than surrounding areas, these developments usually present high costs to local governments and tax payers. Reallocating government funds to subsidize infrastructure and tax breaks to firms shift available funding to local education and health services. In addition, resort towns typically do not have dynamic economies, resulting in an overdependence on one industry. Economic dependence on tourism poses particular challenges to resort towns and its local residents given the seasonal nature of the job market in some areas. Local residents of resort towns face job insecurity, difficulties in obtaining training, medical-benefits, and housing.

Effects on climate change
Climate is one of the most influential drivers for tourism. Conversely, resort towns and their economies are also affected by tourism-induced climate change. Climate change that ensues is causing widespread structural adjustments in tourism.

Climate change also causes shifts among preferred resort towns.

Governance
Every resort town is unique and local governance should be viewed on a case-by-case basis. There are, however, several broad criteria for insuring the most effective governance models. They include: implementation of necessary and desirable services to local residents; recover costs through fees, taxes, and charges; use of parcel taxes to fund services like recreation and fire protection; grant assistance to benefit local residents, like tax exemption; and delegate tasks to elected officials, staff, and committees to streamline procedures and save time and money. In most democratic systems, a voter must reside primarily in one place, and vote only for local government representatives in that place; however, some exceptions do exist. For example, in Alberta, Canada, there is a special type of municipal government for holiday areas called a summer village which allows non-permanent residents to vote for the council even if they only live there part-time.