ABSTRACT
The concept of the ‘state’ is one of the key elements of analysis in human geography (R.Johnston 1982). Its character, role, function and influence have left an indelible mark on the location and nature of economic activity, welfare, personal geographies and the cultural landscape. However, despite the critical role of the state on individual and collective actions, the concept has received little substantive attention in the tourism literature (Hall and Jenkins 1995). Indeed, as Richter (1983) described elsewhere with respect to tourism and politics, research on the role of the state in tourism has been sadly neglected.
