Abstract

The rise of Hay-on-Wye as a “town of books” and of Stavanger as a cultural centre are identified as two cases in which a single individual's entrepreneurial effort has profoundly influenced a destination's potential for development. These two cases are examined in detail through qualitative data gathered from interviews, and their features and the cultures that underlie them are compared and contrasted. At face value, Hay seems a more “successful” development than Stavanger, because its commercial impact was recognised and exploited from the start. However, Hay has had much longer to develop than Stavanger, which may ultimately achieve a similar destination culture. In addition, it is necessary to consider important differences in the value systems underlying different styles of entrepreneurship, since the driving force for Hay was always commercial, but that behind Stavanger (at least during the period discussed here) was social/cultural. The article further identifies the main points that can be gleaned from such comparisons and presents some lessons for development that may be applied to the management and analysis of growth in other destinations.