Tables and Plates; acronyms 1 Introduction' The myth of the Tropical Island as an'Earthly Paradise'; Why a comparative otudy?; The choice of study regions; Studying resorts; Methodology and limitations; SECTION 1 THE ISLANDS; 2 The Setting; The Two Regions Compared; Geography; The Whitsundays; The Mamanucas; Land Tenure and Management; The Whitsundays; The Mamanucas; Environment and Culture Heritage; The Whitsundays; The Mamanucas; 3 Tourism Development - Island-Style; History - Growth and Redevelopment; The Whitsundays; The Mamanucas; Entrepreneurs and their Visions; The Whitsundays; The Mamanucas; The Institutional Framework; The Whitsundays; The Mamanucas; SECTION 2 THE INDUSTRY; 4 Getting Business for the Pleasure Periphery; The Scale and Nature of Island Resort Operations; Integration in the Air-Inclusive Holiday Sector; Regulation and the Air-Inclusive Holiday Sector; Market Size and Main Destinations; Domestic and International Air-Inclusive Tours: a Comparison; Emerging Structures and Industry Trends; Assessing the Attributes of Island Resorts; Awareness and Visitation; Positioning; Target Marketing and Market Segmentation; The Marketing Mix; Future Marketing Priorities; SECTION 3 THE RAW AND THE COOKED; 6 Fitting the Image?; The Mythical South Pacific - Imaginary since the Time of the Cook Voyages; The Triumph of the Visual - Advertising as the Language of Consumption; Tropical Islands as the Ultimate 'Gratification'; What the Holidaymakers Think; 7 Social Engineering?; The Social Impact of Tourism; Island Resorts as the Realization of an Ideal Community; To What Extent Can the Resort Experience be Described as Authentic?; Social Interactions at Resorts; The Style and Quality of Service; The Rise and Rise of the Family; 8 Resort Landscapes; Resort-goers as Consumers of Landscape; Historic and Spatial Dimensions; Postmodernism-Island Style; Resort Landscapes and Consumption Places; a System Approach; Consumer and Industry Perspectives; 9 Opportunities for Further Research; Bibliography and Interviewees