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This study takes a temporal perspective on the analysis of politics, power and tourism destination development. It analyses past and contemporary consequences of the power relationships among different stakeholders. A qualitative inquiry includes semi-structured indepth interviews with stakeholders, from local islanders to national level politicians, complemented by secondary material. After identification of the key tourism stakeholders in the case study area, Maldives, the study details and analyzes, through consideration of contested policy formulation and implementation, why and how stakeholders have sought to gain, hold and cede power. Accordingly, the study develops theoretical understanding that recognizes and evaluates patterns of stakeholder power dominance, subservience and decline.