Introduction to Tourism

11 The role of government

Introduction

The role of government is an important and complex aspect of tourism, involving policies and political philosophies. State intervention in the trade is a relatively recent practice for central government. State participation increased as tourism became a mass phenomenon, reaching a peak shortly after the Second World War in 1939–45. A slow withdrawal began in the boom years of the 1980s with the shift to the market-oriented economy.

These trends are noted in this chapter, together with an examination of the principal aspects of state intervention:

1  Areas for state action.

2  Definitions of the role of the state.

3  Principal state functions.

4  Tasks of the destination authority.

5  Government tourism ...