ABSTRACT
In recent years the relevance of academic studies to policy making and planning has been a pre-condition for securing research funding across the globe. This is becoming an integral part of the international research agenda, where academics are asked to link their research proposals to current issues in the industry and engage end users from the very initial stage of research design. So far books on tourism planning and policy provide theoretical frameworks for addressing the particularities of planning and policies in tourism and some of the more recent ones (Dredge & Jenkins, 2011; Edgell & Swanson, 2013) focus on political, spatial development, and planning policies rather than on the various facets of the industry. This book will address the topic of various planning and policy approaches and the ways these are implemented, including a wide range of aspects by top senior academics from various different disciplines in tourism including sociology, geography, environmental studies, politics, economics, and management. It will build on the contribution of tourism research and academics to shaping policies and changing the industry from a historical perspective and contemporary outlook. It will also highlight the potential role of tourism academics in the future of the tourism industry.
