Introduction

This book is about how governments manage and mismanage tourism. It is about politics; that is, the use of power by public organisations in their management of tourism. The main instrument used by governments is public sector management (PSM) which includes all types of public organisations ranging from national government departments to small tourism units managed by local governments. The processes of management are also analysed, from the formulation of policy by political leaders to its impact on local communities. Management in this book always refers to PSM unless otherwise stated.