ABSTRACT
The global tourism industry can be viewed in various ways. One view is of an industry that provides individuals with an opportunity to experience or build a sense of greater well-being. The search for well-being is fundamental to the act of being a tourist (Nawijn and Peeters 2010). While a concerted effort to build positive tourism systems and enhance well-being of those affected by the tourism industry (e.g. tourists or community groups) is still outside the concerns of tourism policy-makers, some destinations have made progress in this area. Bhutan has integrated gross national happiness in its tourism policy agenda (Donnelly 2004), recognising that the tourism industry could play a major role in advancing well-being of visitors as well as its community groups. These efforts complement worldwide initiatives in others sectors to measure gross national happiness (Bates 2009; Burns 2008; Pankaj and Dorji 2004) in addition to gross domestic product in the pursuit of greater well-being on the planet (Stiglitz et al. 2009).
