In Lugano (Switzerland), the OECD Tourism Committee was the first intergovernmental body to examine in-depth the relationship between growth and innovation in the area of tourism. This paper examines the main issues raised during the Lugano Conference: ! Why does tourism in the developed OECD countries urgently need to innovate? ! What factors are preventing the much needed restructuring of the...

Many traditionally agricultural dependent economies have transformed towards service industries, such as tourism. This transformation resulted in significant impacts upon economies, communities and the environment. However, existing indicators to measure the impacts of tourism on regions have not been examined across the transformation process, leaving a gap in the understanding of long-range p...

Surrounded by the ocean, Taiwan has been increasingly developing coastal tourism projects. Concerns that negative impacts might be brought about by prosperous tourism have resulted in a recent focus on sustainable tourism. Sustainable tourism involves policies that acknowledge the interdependences among the environment, the community, and the economy. The goal of sustainable tourism is to enhan...

Th is paper provides an economic analysis of a proposed zoning change that will enable the City of Treasure Island, Florida, to attract more tourists. Th e proposed zoning change would result in hotel renovations and new hotel construction in Treasure Island, Florida. Th e study uses tax analysis to see how the change would increase taxable property values as well as increase revenues from the ...

Over the past three decades, tourism-based economic development has transformed social and economic conditions in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Mayan communities have become directly involved in the changing economy as the main source of inexpensive labor for construction and service jobs at tourism centers, and as sites of ecotourism and archeotourism. In this paper, we address how these macr...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the magnitude and characteristics of medical tourism in Thailand and the impact of such tourism on the Thai health system and economy. METHODS In 2010, we checked the records of all visits to five private hospitals that are estimated to cover 63% of all foreign patients. We reviewed hospital records of foreign patients and obtained data on their countries of origin, d...

In tourism industry there is strong comprehensive nature, high interrelatedness, long industrial chain, and in particular, featuring integration with industry. As tourism is the industry to be defined according to tourists’ need, tourists consumption of service of food, transportation, accommodations, sightseeing, shopping and entertainment in the travel process will naturally link with a numbe...

Many developing countries have managed to increase their participation in the global economy through development of international tourism. Tourism development is increasingly viewed as an important tool in promoting economic growth, alleviating poverty, and advancing food security. This briefing note aims to review the relationship between tourism and poverty reduction, and to explore how inves...

The information revolution is drastically reshaping global society and pushing the world toward information based economy. Commercial activities such as information gathering, shopping, trading, collaboration, and distribution are changing, and companies are forced to adapt their strategies. The importance of information and communication technology (ICT), especially of the Web, in the travel a...