Political Economy and Tourism Policy: National Tourism Organisations and State Policy

Abstract

Is there a link between a state's form of political and economic organization and a state's response to tourism? In this paper, we look at three broad models for political/economic organization that states follow and then explore examples of those states and each country's response to tourism to determine to what extent the choice of response to tourism is consistent with the philosophical model upon which the state rests. We find that philosophies of political economy seem to influence greatly the state's reaction to the challenge of tourism. The investigation has implications for states in the current financial crisis, since the state's response to the crisis will either be consistent with the political philosophy upon which the state's institutions rest or run counter to the prevailing political and economic thinking upon which the state's institutions rest.