Tourism has become the main driver of economic growth and employment and the most important source of income in the ECCU. Preserving and, possibly, enhancing the competitiveness of the tourism product is key for these countries. Unfortunately, the evidence shows that tourism arrivals to the ECCU have been declining slightly while global demand for tourism is on the rise. The objective of this paper is to study the structural determinants of competitiveness for the ECCU, defined as the relative cost advantage over other touristic regions (Di Bella, Lewis, and Martin 2007). Using a gravity model, we show that proximity to North American and European markets is indeed an important competitive advantage for the ECCU. However, despite this advantage, and, in some cases, specialization in high-end tourism, regression analysis shows that arrivals to the ECCU are sensitive to relative prices. Our simulations show that mitigating supply-side constraints would improve the ECCU’s competitiveness and allow the region to regain global market shares.

Tourism impacts on locations in many ways - socially, environmentally, culturally, and economically. This book examines some well established controversies in tourism and some newly emerging controversial aspects associated with tourism as an activity and a business. Controversies involving clashes between visitors and host communities, the rights and wrongs of eco-tourism, the impacts of mega-events, the legitimacy of dark tourism, and the costs and benefits of medical and wildlife tourism are assessed. This book is an interesting and thought provoking work ideal for tourism students, researchers and academics.

This is a text for students of international tourism at HND and undergraduate level. It looks at a number of aspects of tourism: market trends and forecasts, the economic impact of tourism, the role of marketing and finance, organisations and policies. International cases are used throughout the text.

Sustainable tourism is attracting enormous attention today throughout the world. This book provides an up-to-date, comprehensive coverage of the practice and management of the subject. It offers a range of definitions of sustainable tourism from different sectors of tourism and different parts of the world. Key issues and current debates are also discussed and a range of examples of sustainable tourism management practice are given. The book is designed to be interactive, with group and individual exercises and discussion points to further understanding of the subject

This volume fills an important gap in tourism research. A vital case study for general policy initiatives in tourism, this book will serve to open up the debate on connections between tourism performance and government policies on an international level.