ABSTRACT
Tourism is important both as a domestic industry and an export industry in industrialized nations, and will continue to grow in the foreseeable future. Some nations such as Australia, Canada and Spain have even identified the tourism industry as of strategic importance in their economic future and have initiated policies to promote the growth of tourism even more. However, the sustainable growth of tourism in industrialized nations is confronted by challenges that affect the ability of the industry to receive favourable policy attention from governments, that limit the ability of tourism business managers to make informed decisions and that influence the availability and quality of tourism products for consumers. The degree to which these challenges can be met will strongly influence the degree to which tourism can function as a sustainable industry.
