CRITICAL AREAS OF TOURISM POLICIES TO BE REVISITED AND BROUGHT INTO FOCUS

Abstract

Purpose: The politically and socially sensitive aspects of tourism are brought into focus in this paper. They are rarely, if ever, found at the forefront of declared tourism policies: democratic access to tourism; observance of human rights in the context of movements regarding persons and migrations of all sorts; economic and social promises of tourism aimed at benefiting underdeveloped countries with a view to alleviating poverty; as well as education through tourism on par with vocational training, or the absence of civil society and consumer education for tourism.Methods: Analysis of potential issues to be included in tourism policies, based on a review of expert literature and documents of international organisations, as well as the author`s personal experience with academia.Findings: The desired re-focusing and restructuring of tourism policies can be achieved if conciliary and regulatory measures to this effect overcome partisan and short-term, financial capital-induced interests in tourism production and consumption patterns, when accompanied by transparency, fairness, empathy and solidarity with the unprivileged stakeholders in tourism development.Research limitations and conclusions: The findings and suggested actions should be validated by dialogue and surveying stakeholders in tourism development with a view towards navigating appropriate strategies and leaderships to the desired end.Practical implications: Contribution to the international debate on tourism and its promises in the critical areas which are currently subordinate to the overriding production and consumption patterns.Originality: Reconsidering and putting into question the established expectations of, and beliefs in, tourism, underpinned by the findings and recommendations of international organisations.Type of paper: A review paper based on the analysis of literature and reports of international organisations.