Government Role

Abstract

Government's role is tourism is generally by way of economic development models or individual projects. In the U.S., each state and most large communities have a unit whose primary charge is economic development. Tourism is often viewed as an important lynchpin in a community's economic development efforts. Additionally, government impacts telecommunications via regulation. In some locales government policy is directly targeted to impact tourism (e.g., the billions spent by Mexico to develop Cancun and other coastal resort communities). Governments with a longer time horizon than ordinarily seen in the private sector are ideally suited to impose regulations to achieve sustainability. This is particularly important when conservation of a tourism asset is critical (e.g., Mayan and Egyptian archeological sites). Governments can also act in a meta-role to join various tourism assets under a single umbrella (e.g., the Royal Thai government operates a meta-site) making it easier for a tourist to explore multiple websites focused on tourist attractions and interests within the kingdom. Governments can also act to restore consumer faith in a locale as when the Government of Mexico raided vendors who were purveying tainted alcohol and adversely impacting tourism to Cancun. Case studies are employed to highlight government roles in cultural tourism, and one case highlights the negative impact social media can have on tourism. Best practices for governments are forwarded.