Recreational housing and local government finance

One of the important aspects of community development planning for tourism involves the assessment of benefits and costs associated with touristic activities to local units of government. The primary objective of this study was to identify the impact of recreational housing development on the financial position of local governments within a rural setting. Using census data for Wisconsin counties, a ''holistic'' type model of fiscal impact is specified and estimated. Results suggest that recreational housing development just pays for itself in terms of the ability of local governments to generate revenues when compared to the demands placed on services, as measured by expenditures. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.